By Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA
DAVAO CITY — Davao police seized several firearms and two hand grenades during the first three days of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban period.
Guesting on Wednesday’s Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police press briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Chief Insp. Jason Baria, the spokesperson of Police Regional Office-11 (Davao Region), said the firearms and explosives were seized during the first three days of the gun ban which started on January 13.
Baria added that on Tuesday an alleged robbery suspect was killed during a shootout with police near the Matina Biao Elementary School in Purok 5, Barangay Matina Biao, Tugbok District.
The suspect Julius Curesis Boot, 40, was spotted in the vicinity of Matina Biao Elementary School with a pistol visibly tucked in his waistband. Boot fired at the arresting officers.
Police operatives recovered from the scene an Armscor .45-caliber pistol.
Also on Tuesday, Baria said a barangay councilman of Magpet, North Cotabato, once targeted by the communist party for allegedly not paying a revolutionary tax, was arrested together with four other companions for alleged possession of explosives and firearms.
Seized from the arrested men were two hand grenades, a .45-caliber pistol with five magazines and 73 bullets, a 9-mm pistol with two magazines and 64 bullets, a .30-caliber M2 Carbine with six magazines and 99 bullets.
Comelec-11 spokesperson, lawyer Krisna Caballero, reminded individual gun owners that “license permits, mission orders and other authority to bear and carry firearms have been suspended unless there is authority from Comelec.”
“Violators can face two cases — violation of the Revised Penal Code on carrying firearms without permit and the Omnibus Election Code,” she said.
Caballero said people in Mindanao should also be aware that all permits to carry have been suspended due to enforcement of martial law.
