42 Comelec gun ban violators nabbed

A TOTAL of 42 violators of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban were arrested in Negros Occidental from January 13 to February 17.

Of the total number of violators, one died during the police operation.

Chief Inspector Edison Garcia, public information officer of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), said 42 operations were conducted in one month since the implementation of the Comelec gun ban in January.

Garcia said the Talisay City Police Station conducted the most number of operations with four followed by police stations in La Castellana and Murcia with three each.

The 42 operations included six buy-busts, three checkpoints, 22 police responses, nine search warrants, and two Oplan Bakal or Oplan Sita.

Oplan Sita is when police conduct a checkpoint in strategic areas while Oplan Bakal is the implementation of the search warrant, and service of the arrest warrant.

A total of 37 firearms and 10 bladed weapons including one pointed object were recovered by the authorities in separate operations.

Of the number, 17 were .38 caliber, four were .45 caliber, two were .22 caliber, three were .357 caliber, one was .9mm, and 10 improvised shotgun.

Garcia said the Comelec gun ban will end on June 12, a month after the midterm elections.

He advised the public to surrender their firearms to the authorities for safekeeping, pending the renewal of their licenses so they won’t be subjected for a police operation./gym