Comelec to take up gun ban 'technicality' issue in en banc meet

A technical question on the gun ban for the October 25 barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections has prompted an en banc meeting of the Commission on Elections on the matter. On Tuesday, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said they were to tackle the issue in an en banc session to start at 10 a.m. "Mag-i-issue kami ng statement today, after the en banc. In deference to Commissioner [Lucenito] Tagle, hintayin natin ang statement (We will issue a statement after the en banc meeting. In deference to Commissioner Lucenito Tagle, who is in charge of the gun ban, we will wait for the statement)," Larrazabal said in an interview on dzBB radio, adding the poll body expects to clarify the issue within the day. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will consult the Department of Justice (DOJ) on technical issues involving the gun ban for the Oct. 25 elections. Radio dzBB's Benjie Liwanag Jr. reported Tuesday that the PNP will seek the DOJ's opinion on when the gun ban, which the police enforced last Saturday, is supposed to take effect. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal had insisted the ban should have taken effect only on Sept. 27, seven days after it was published in a national newspaper. The PNP started arresting alleged violators on September 25. Among those the police first accosted was an employee of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. At least 12 civilians had been arrested for violation of the gun ban since Sept. 25, the dzBB report said. On the other hand, the PNP insisted it is not doing anything wrong as it merely followed the Commission on Elections' order to start implementing the ban on Sept. 25. It said it is now up to the DOJ to interpret the pertinent laws. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV