PNP: 21 more firearms seized on 3rd day of gun ban

At least 21 more firearms were seized on the third day of the implementation of the nationwide election gun ban, the Philippine National Police said Wednesday. PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said most of the seized firearms were cal-.45 and 9-mm pistols, even as he warned other gun owners against continuing to defy the ban. "We have been announcing for several months, marami na rin [ang] nahuli ... Sila [ang] mapeperwisyo niyan, sila [ang] makakasuhan (We have been announcing this for several months. We have seized many firearms. We have to warn gun owners they will face many inconveniences if they insist on bringing their guns)," Espina said in an interview on dzRH radio. Espina stressed the PNP is ready to continue enforcing the gun ban, which is in effect until June 9. He said that in the first two days of the gun ban that started last Sunday, at least 71 people were arrested and now face charges for violating the gun ban.

On Tuesday, Espina scolded hard-headed gun owners for bringing their firearms outside their residences despite public information campaigns on the gun ban in past months. [See: PNP scores hard-headed Pinoy gun owners] "Itutuloy namin ang pagpapatupad ng gun ban na ito (We intend to continue implementing the gun ban)," he said. Also on Tuesday, members of the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were exempted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from the nationwide implementation of the gun ban. [See: Cafgus exempted from election gun ban - Comelec] Through Resolution 8742, the poll body decided to allow Cafgu members to carry firearms during the election period since they are auxiliary units of the military which is exempted from the gun ban, Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said. - RSJ, GMANews.TV