Comelec says senior gov’t officials exempted from poll gun ban

FILE PHOTO: Comelec chairman Saidamen B. Pangarungan . INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Senior government officials were granted exemption from the poll gun ban, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Saidamen Pangarungan announced Monday.

The poll body also allowed public officials to have a security detail.

“Senior government officials granted exemption from the gun ban and provided with a security detail. Also, NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) organic agents and election officers were granted a similar exemption,” Pangarungan said in a press briefing.

READ: Gun ban arrests now at 2,385; highest in Metro Manila — PNP

READ: PNP recalls politicians’ security details ahead of election period

This development came after the Comelec en banc amended Resolution No. 10728 to expedite and simplify the grant of exemptions to the election gun ban.

Pangarungan said the exemption will allow officials to protect themselves.

“These officials need to feel secure in performing their duties, free from fear and pressure from others,” he stressed.

“With these approved amendments, the Comelec aims to provide a faster and simpler process of availing exemptions to the gun ban without sacrificing the safeguards and security measures in place,” he added.

Below is the list of persons exempted from the poll gun ban which takes effect from January 9 to June 8:

• Vice President and two security detail
• Senate president and senators, and two security detail
• Speakers and members of the House of Representatives, and two security detail
• Chief justice and the Justices of the Supreme Court, and two security details for each
• Justices of the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, and the Court of Tax Appeals
• Judges of the Regional Trial Courts and Municipal/ Metropolitan/ Circuit Trial Courts
• Cabinet Secretaries, Undersecretaries, Assistant Secretaries, with two and one  security detail, respectively
• Ombudsman and two security detail, Deputy Ombudsmen, and investigators and prosecutors of the Ombudsman
• Prosecutor General, Chief State prosecutor, state prosecutors, and prosecutors mentioned under Republic Act No. 10071 of the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice
• officials, including organic agents, of the NBI
• election officers, provincial election supervisors, and regional election directors   (RED) provided that they may be entitled to not more than two security detail as approved by the REDs

The above-mentioned individuals should have a valid license to own and possess firearms, a certificate of firearms registration, and a valid permit to carry firearms outside of residence.

They should also submit the list of their firearms and qualified security detail to the Comelec’s Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns by April 19.

Pangarungan and Comelec Commissioners Rey Bulay, George Garcia, and Aimee Neri approved the amended Resolution No. 10728 while Commissioners Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, and Aimee Ferolino dissented or expressed their reservations to it.

KGA