By Rhoda Grace Saron/Philippine News Agency
DAVAO CITY — The Police Regional Office-11 in Davao Region recovered a total of 519 assorted unlicensed firearms since the start of the gun ban on January 13 this year.
Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales, PRO-11 director, presented the confiscated low- and high-powered firearms on Monday at Camp Quintin Merecido in Catitipan here.
Morales said the seizure of the firearms was the result of 113 police operations as of April 13, which also led to the arrest of 142 persons and the recovery of 17 grenades, 16 other explosives, 1,525 ammunition, and 35 bladed weapons.
In those operations, Morales said 20 suspects died during armed encounters with law enforcement officers.
According to Morales, 96 of the seized firearms were recovered from a candidate running for mayor and 95 others running for board members, city and municipal councilors.
He said that one former mayor in Davao del Sur also surrendered an unspecified number of unlicensed firearms.
“We have intelligence-driven operations and we knew the persons (holding unlicensed guns) based on our information and records,” he said.
Some of the personalities who carried illegal firearms “were involved in criminal activities and illegal drugs,” Morales said.
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