First day of gun ban enforcement yields zero arrest in Zambo Sur

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (Jan. 11, 2016) – Senior Supt. Michael Nicolas, provincial police director, announced that on the first day of the election gun ban enforcement yielded zero arrest and confiscation of firearms in this province.

The gun ban took effect midnight of January 10 in time for the start of the election period for the May 2016 presidential and local elections pursuant to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 3328.

City Police Chief Supt. Michael Palermo said that in Pagadian City during the first day of implementation mostly arrested are in violation of RA 4136 or violation of traffic rules and regulation.

Supt. Nicolas said that in the province some were arrested in violation of 4136 in four nearby towns of Pitogo, San Miguel, Dumalinao and Labangan and illegal drugs in the nearby municipality of Josefin wherein 10 sachet of shabut were confiscated with two suspects arrested.

No one was arrested in firearms when they simultaneously conducted checkpoints in the entire province at the start of the gun ban, Nicolas added.

Nicolas’ area of responsibility is the entire province that consists of one component city and 26 municipalities.

Nicolas said that random checkpoints will be conducted along the national highways to ensure compliance of Comelec Resolution No. 3328.

The Comelec resolution stated that only policemen and soldiers including security guards and other security government agencies are allowed to carry firearms during work hours in their areas of responsibility for the duration of the election period.

Atty. Jossil Macute, acting provincial election supervisor, said those who wish to be exempted from the gun ban may apply online with the Comelec’s Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP).

By JONG D. CADION