GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Police arrested 31 persons in different parts of Region 12 for violation of the firearms ban in line with the coming May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, public information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, said Monday the violators were nabbed during checkpoint inspections and various operations conducted by local police units in the last three weeks since the start of the April 14 election period.
Gonzales said the police’s Oplan Sita, Oplan Bakal and Oplan Galugad resulted in the recovery of 27 assorted firearms with 190 ammunition, six ammunition clips or magazines, four grenades and four bladed weapons.
The seized firearms comprise 10 caliber 45 handguns, five shotguns, four 9mm pistols, four homemade pistols, three caliber 38 pistols and a Carbine rifle. The confiscated bladed weapons include three knives and a samurai.
Gonzales said police personnel also recovered during the inspections a total of 15 sachets of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, a pack of dried marijuana leaves, stalks and seeds as well as various drug paraphernalia.
Based on the data provided by the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center, there are now seven election-related incidents, with one fatality and one injured.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead last April 26 reelectionist barangay chair Reynardo Amador in Barangay Tambilil, Kiamba town in Sarangani Province.
Police investigators are eyeing politics as among the possible motives in the said killing.
Region 12 is also known as Soccsksaregen, which stands for South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City. ( Frances Kristine Alvero/PNA)
