By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA
MANILA — A total of 45 persons and 47 firearms were seized during the first three days of the gun ban for the 2019 midterm elections.
Based on the data provided by the PNP National Election Monitoring and Action Center (NEMAC), there were 6,264 checkpoints set up in strategic areas nationwide as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, which also resulted in the confiscation of 311 deadly weapons from January 13 to 15.
The PNP also recorded eight incidents of election-related violence, six in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and two in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which are still subject for validation.
Earlier, PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said field reports from the Police Regional Offices continue to come in on the results of the implementation of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 10468, which provided guidelines on the establishment and operation of checkpoints for the midterm polls.
“There will be daily updates of reported gun ban violations for the entire duration of the election period through the Election Monitoring and Action Centers in the national, regional and provincial levels,” he said.
Aside from being a deputized agency of the poll body, the PNP is also tasked to dismantle private armed groups, provide security to vulnerable candidates, lead the accounting for loose firearms, and neutralize gun-for-hire and criminal gangs.
“It helps a lot that we are implementing this election security operations just as we wrap-up a year-long successful campaign in year 2018 against loose firearms, private armed groups and criminal syndicates that would have complicated the present situation and added to the security concerns for the coming midterm elections in May,” Albayalde said.
“Each time, there are always lessons learned from previous experience that allow us to innovate and improve on how to address situations. And always we put our best foot forward to accomplish the mission,” he added.
