Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), personally mans the checkpoint in Talisay City, Cebu at the strike of midnight on July 13, 2018, which marks the start of the election gun ban in the run up the midterm polls in May this year. / photo by Benjie Talisic
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In just two hours after the election gun ban took effect at midnight of Sunday, January 13, two persons, including a security escort of Cebu Fourth District Representative Benhur Salimbangon, were arrested and over a dozen firearms were recovered by the police across Central Visayas.
Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said that as full implementation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban began, some gun owners even volutarilty surrended their firearms to the police.
In fact, Sinas said, majority or 11 of the firearms now with the police since the gun ban took effect were readily surrendered by their owners to the different police sttions in the region, some of which had expired licenses or permits.
“If you surrender your firearms, of course you will not be arrested. It is highly encouraged that if you have unlicensed firearms or expired licenses, you will give it up at your nearest police station,” said Sinas.
One of the people caught for possession of a firearm was a security escort of Salimbangon, who was arrested in Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu.
Inspector William Homoc, the newly installed Daanbantayan police chief, identified the security escort as Richard Monsato, 31.
The security escort was caught in possession of a .45 caliber pistol loaded with seven live ammunitions after he was flagged down at a checkpoint along the Central Nautical Highway in Barangay Agujo at around 12:30 a.m.
Homoc said that Monsato was not carrying any Permit To Carry Firearms Outside of Residence or a Comelec permit to carry firearms.
Monsato will be facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Comelec gun ban.
Sinas earlier said that people caught with guns during the election gun ban will be facing heavier penalties compared to when they were arrested for the same offense outside of the election period.
Sinas added they will strictly implement the gun ban and will not hesitate to arrest violators, even they are politicians or candidates for the elections in May.
During the Unity Walk on Sunday, Lawyer Raphael Olaño, the regional director of the Comelec in Central Visayas, likewise reminded the public to strictly comply with the gun ban.
Olaño said that random Comelec checkpoints will be conducted in various areas in the regions, especially those who are under the Election Watchlist Areas (EWAs) such as the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Danao; and the municipalities of Ronda, San Fernando, and Tuburan. / elb
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