139 arrested in Metro Manila for violating gun ban

Since the implementation of the nationwide election gun ban on Jan. 13, the National Capital Region Police Office has arrested 139 people for the illegal possession of firearms and deadly weapons. In addition, it has confiscated 85 firearms, six hand grenades and explosives and 65 bladed weapons.

The figures, however, are miniscule when compared to the number of illegal firearms as reported by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

According to a report from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office, there are 552,380 firearms with expired licenses and an estimated 25,000 guns in the possession of crime syndicates and threat groups.

In contrast, there are 1.2 million registered firearms in the Philippines, it added.

In Makati City, there have only been a few apprehensions in connection with the gun ban.  Two of these, however, involved two minors who were caught with a cal. .45 pistol and an improvised shotgun.

City police chief Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban Jr., however, said that despite the low figures, the gun ban could not be considered successful in Makati since they have yet to apprehend a politician or confiscate a firearm which would have been used for any election-related activity.

“Have there been apprehensions related to a politician or the elections?” he asked the

Inquirer. “None yet.”

“We are not yet successful since most of the apprehensions were only incidental. It happened they were caught carrying a firearm during election time,” he added.

But according to Lukban, the gun ban has helped the police a lot in apprehending and filing  cases against those who were caught illegally possessing a firearm. “But that’s not the real objective of the gun ban,” he stressed.

“The original intent of the law is to have fair and honest elections, to monitor the political affiliation of candidates and to avoid goons; not really to avoid crimes,” Lukban said. If the intention is to prevent crime, then the gun ban should be in effect all year round, he added.