Sinas: Comelec gun ban in full implementation
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said that the implementation of the Commission on Elections (Cpmelec) gun ban is well underway in the entire region.
According to Sinas, merely two hours after the regionwide simultaneous checkpoints on midnight of Sunday, January 13, the police have already confiscated 13 firearms and arrested two individuals.
Sinas said that 11 of the firearms were readily surrendered by their owners to the different police stations, some of which have 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 in possession of a firearm was a security escort to Cebu Fourth District Representative Benhur Salimbangon in Daanbantayan town, north Cebu.
Chief Inspector William Homoc, the newly installed Daanbantayan police chief, identified the security escort as Richard Monsato, 31.
He was caught in possession of a .45 caliber pistol loaded with seven live ammunitions as he was flagged down in a checkpoint along the Central Nautical Highway in Barangay Agujo.
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 period will be facing heavier charges compared to ordinary days.
Sinas also said that they will strictly implement the gun ban and will not hesitate to arrest violators even if they are politicians or electoral candidates.
During the Unity Walk on Sunday, Lawyer Raphael Olaño, the regional director of the Comelec in Central Visayas also reminded the people to strictly adhere to 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 as well as the municipalities of Ronda, San Fernando, and Tuburan. /rcg
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