PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The city and provincial police here warned gun owners against carrying their firearms in public as the ban for the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls kicked off early Saturday.
Senior Supt. Gabriel Lopez, the director of the Palawan Police, said having “licenses to carry” firearms is no excuse from the ban unless they have exemption permits from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“They are prohibited to bring their guns outside their homes until May 31. Only those who have gun ban exemption permits will be allowed to carry, and usually they are the policemen and the soldiers who will help maintain peace and order during the barangay and SK elections,” he said in a phone interview on Saturday.
He noted that anyone found violating the election gun ban will be arrested and charged for defying election rules and illegal possession of firearms.
Lopez, who has been traveling in southern Palawan since Friday to personally supervise the ban on carrying firearms, said an estimated 850 Palawan Police personnel and 169 members of the Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) will serve to maintain peace and order during the May 2018 polls.
Road security checkpoints have also been set up in the province’s 23 municipalities to prevent violence, he said.
“Our checkpoints plan is one for every municipality so that our police personnel can screen and identify who are possible troublemakers during the polls,” Lopez said.
He added that they have not identified any “hotspot area” in Palawan, but have the towns of Bataraza and Brooke’s Point under close watch due to history of election-related incidents.
“So far, there are no municipalities that have been identified as hotspots. Aside from that, we have yet to receive the copies of the lists of candidates of all areas,” he said.
Provincial Comelec spokesperson Jomel Ordas said that after the filing of the COCs that will last until April 20, all municipal offices have to complete the lists of candidates not later than April 23.
“We will be able to submit the lists of candidates two days after filing. We will then distribute these to our policemen and peacekeeping forces, and then let’s see if there will be hotspots,” he said.
Ordas reminded barangay and SK candidates to refrain from early campaigning as it could lead to their disqualification.
“The nine-day campaign period will start on May 4 until May 12, so for their sake, and if they don’t want to be disqualified, then don’t campaign yet after the filing of the COC,” he said.
Ordas added that for new candidates, they can inquire about campaign guidelines from the Comelec’s municipal offices since posting huge tarpaulins and posters is prohibited.
“It’s not also allowed for them to post or use materials that are going to be detrimental to the environment. So, no nailing of campaign propaganda on trees,” he added.
In Puerto Princesa, Senior Supt. Ronnie Francis Cariaga, city police director, personally supervised and inspected his personnel who implemented the checkpoint operations during the ceremonial kickoff.
He was accompanied by Lawyer Ferdinand Bermejo, the election officer of the city. (PNA)
