4,279 arrested for violating Comelec gun ban

April 26, 2019

The Philippine National Police ( PNP) arrested around 4,729 violators in relation to the Commission on Elections ( Comelec) imposed gun ban since the start of campaign period.

Based on their data released Friday, on the total 576,983 checkpoints conducted since January, 4,729 were arrested for violating the gunban.

PNP said of the total number arrested, 4,449 were civilian, 38 members of the Philippine National Police, 17 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 75 government officials, 79 security guards, seven CAFGU, nine foreign nationals, 31 from threat groups, eight from private armed groups and 12 from other law enforcement agencies.

Authorities confiscated 3,942 firearms and seized 35, 967 deadly weapons, 277 grenades, 521 explosive devices, 33,423 rounds of live ammunition, and 1,606 other deadly weapons.

In a press briefing on Monday, Police General Oscar Albayalde, the PNP chief, said as the campaign period for the May 13 midterm election enters the final stretch, they will be making necessary adjustments to beef-up election security and law enforcement operations.

“Particularly in enforcing the nationwide election gunban and operations against private armed groups, gun-for-hire syndicates and criminal organizations that pose a threat to peaceful polls,” he said.

Albayalde said they will deploy around 100,000 police officers in different polling centers nationwide and activate elite quick reaction teams. Ella Dionisio/DMS