Candidates in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in San Fernando town, who own firearms, are again encouraged to surrender them to authorities.
Senior Insp. Adrian Nalua, San Fernando Police Station chief, made this call on Friday after some of the candidates surrendered 32 firearms to police.
The firearms, which were made up of short and long firearms, were also a mix of licensed and unlicensed firearms.
These included .45 caliber pistols, .38 caliber revolvers, .22 caliber revolvers, 9 mm pistols and even M16 Armalite rifles.
Nalua said that the licensed firearms that were turned over to them for safekeeping would be returned to the candidates, who own them, when the elections would be over, but the unlicensed ones would be confiscated by the police.
He said that this would be for a peaceful election in San Fernando town
“Bisan pa nga pila na lang ka adlaw apan nag tuo ko na dili ulahi ang tanan ilabi kadtong nangandoy og kalinaw sa umaabot nga election kay mao man atong katuyoan (Even if the election is just a few days away, but it is still not too late especially for candidates and for those who want a peaceful election),” he said.
Among those who surrendered their firearms were Ricardo “Nonoy” Reluya, San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya’s husband who is also running for reelection as barangay captain of Panadtaran, and Jessi Pelimer, who is running for barangay captain of Barangay Pitalo.
Ricardo Reluya turned over two M16 Armalite rifles while his wife also turned over to police a 9 mm pistol.
Pelimer and his supporter a barangay tanod surrendered a .45 pistol and another firearm.
Johnny Arriesgado, Association of Barangay Council president of San Fernando, who was arrested last year for illegal possession of firearms, also accompanied a candidate for barangay councilor and his supporters as they turned over their guns to the police.
Arriesgado said that his arrest last year had made him realize about illegal firearms and so he convinced other barangay officials to surrender their guns for a safe election.
Nalua said that the surrendered firearms were turned over to them since Peace Covenant signing last week between candidates in the coming election in San Fernando.
San Fernando has 21 barangays.