194 nabbed for gun ban breach as polls near

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

With days to go before the May 9, 2022 elections, close to 200 persons have been arrested for gun ban violation.

As of May 2, 2022, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) reported that 194 persons were collared for violating the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 10728.

Promulgated on Nov. 10, 2021, the resolution sets the “Rules and Regulations on the Ban on the (1) Bearing, Carrying or Transporting of Firearms or Other Deadly Weapons; and (2) Employment, Availment or Engagement of the Services of Security Personnel or Bodyguards During the Election Period of the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections.”

The gun ban took effect on January 9 and will run until June 8.

Negros Occidental still topped the number of arrested persons with 67 individuals.

Iloilo province arrested 30 persons; Aklan with 25; Iloilo City with 20; Bacolod City with 18; Antique with 16; Capiz with 11: Antique; and Guimaras with 7.

Brigadier General Flynn Dongbo, Western Visayas police chief, said that different police offices in the region also confiscated 109 assorted firearms and 98 bladed weapons.

But the number is a far cry from the arrests and seizures during the midterm elections in 2019.

More than a week before the election gun ban ended three years ago, PRO-6 accounted 519 arrested individuals.

The arrests led to the confiscation of 272 firearms, six Class A weapons, and 269 improvised or homemade firearms.

At that time, PRO-6 considered the number as not that significant citing pre-election operations conducted by different police units.