CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte – Since the gun ban enforcement started last Jan. 10, the police authorities in the region has already arrested 21 persons with 15 firearms confiscated in random checkpoints.
Chief Supt. Drusillo Bolodo, police regional office 8 deputy regional director for administration, said three members of the military, one policeman and one who has already retired from the military service were among those who were caught violating the Comelec gun ban.
Bolodo said Samar province has the highest number with 8 persons arrested violating the gun ban including a military personnel with two firearms while in the province of Leyte three persons were arrested and one unlicensed firearm was confiscatd.
Four security guards were also arrested in random checkpoints in different areas in Eastern Samar, their firearms confiscated.
In Northern Samar, two persons including a PNP personnel were arrested and one bladed weapon was seized.
In Southern Leyte, one civilian including a retired AFP serviceman and two guns were confiscated by the PNP while in Biliran one person was arrested and one unlicensed firearm. In Tacloban City, two civilians were arrested to include an Army Corporal and two firearms.
Bolodo reiterated their sincere gun ban implementation all over the region simultaneous with checkpoints being installed in different areas.
“We are now on a full-swing gun ban enforcement in random checkpoints. We are happy with the public support in the gun ban, as we are looking toward achieving peaceful, credible 2010 elections and to control and stop the proliferation of unlicensed firearms, “ Bolodo explained.
The national government earlier announced that more than 10,000 policemen and soldiers were deployed across the country starting this Sunday in search of all types of firearms in municipalities and cities with the gun ban implementation in preparation for the May 2010 elections.
Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa said most of the security forces continued manning at least 3,500 checkpoints nationwide while others will conduct regular patrols, especially in the 558 towns and cities that have been identified as election hot spots.
“Most of the election-related violence in the previous elections were perpetrated through the use of firearms. We will try to make this year’s elections as peaceful and credible as possible through the strict implementation of the total gun ban that has been approved by the Commission on Elections,” Verzosa said .
Based on the guidelines approved by the Comelec, at least one checkpoint will be set up in each of the cities and municipalities across the country to be manned by policemen and soldiers under the supervision of poll officials.
Based on intelligence reports of the police and military, there are a total of 68 private armed groups (PAGs) all over the country, 25 of them in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Police officials in this region, however, has yet to reveal how many PAGs there are in Region 8 presently being monitored by the PNP.
Only members of law enforcement agencies and PNP-accredited private security agencies that will be tapped as escorts of candidates are allowed to carry guns but with a condition that they should be in uniform.
Bolodo also confirmed to this paper that PRO-8 regional headquarters continues to receive more request for security details of candidates but standard process and validation are still being done. (MIRIAM GARCIA DESACADA)
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