Gun ban violations tally: 1,969 arrested, 2,304 arms seized

With less than 15 days before the May 14 mid-term election, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has arrested at least 1,969 violators of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban and seized a total of 2, 304 various weapons. In a statement on the Philippine National Police (PNP) website, PNP chief Oscar Calderon said they have also filed 707 cases against the offenders, with the other 770 cases still under investigation. "Our aggressive operations against illegally possessed firearms will continue without let-up even after the close of the election period on June 13," Calderon said. Calderon's announcement came amid rising poll violence capped by the death of San Carlos City mayor Julian Resuello, who was shot in an ambush Saturday night. He said that as of Monday, the 17 PNP regional offices have already accounted for 1,820 different types of firearms, 182 explosive devices, and 302 deadly weapons from 30 slain suspects and 1,969 arrested violators of the nationwide gunban imposed by the Comelec. "We have filed 707 cases against the offenders, while other 770 cases are under investigation," he said. In the meantime, Calderon said he has instructed his regional directors to anticipate contingencies and adopt pro-active measures through more effective police visibility, 24/7 checkpoint operations, and interdiction operations against armed groups and illegal firearms. "I reminded the Regional Directors that the Doctrine of Command Responsibility will apply in cases neglect of duty or operational lapses that will lead to Election-Related Violent Incidents," he said. - GMANews.TV