No guns during elections
PALO, Leyte — Eastern Visayas PNP regional head yesterday expressed optimism that not even one will be seen carrying firearms, not even law enforcers who are not wearing prescribed uniforms can bring along their firearms during the total gun ban implementation in preparation for the upcoming 2010 elections.
Chief Superintendent Mario Sandiego clarified that only uniformed members of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcement agencies will be exempted from the Comelec’s total gun ban. This is to ensure that election related violence will be prevented.
From the same interview, a joint statement from Sandiego and Chief Supt. Ireneo Bacolod, director of PNPs Civil Secutiry Group based in Camp Crame, said the Philippine National Police will be limiting also the number of security escorts to four per candidate when the campaign period starts for the 2010 national elections, officials said on Wednesday.
The said security escorts will be limited to two uniformed personnel and two protective agents. Only authorized security escorts will be exempted from the total gun ban that will be implemented on February 26 next year.
“Based on PNP’s national leadership recommendation, there will be two uniformed and two protective agents that will be given to a certain candidate if that candidate will go around. If more than that, then we will recommend for the disqualification of that candidate,” Sandiego and Bacolod said..
“Candidates not even bonafide members of the AFP, PNP and other law enforcement agencies who are not wearing proper uniform will be allowed to carry firearms during the election period. However, the firearms must be duly registered as government-owned firearms covered by certificates of registration issued by the PNP, the two police generals said.
Bacolod disclosed that per PNP data, a total of 357,962 firearms are in the hands of both the AFP and the PNP.
Prior to the implementation of the total gun ban next year, several cities in the country have already passed local resolutions implementing a partial gun ban.
Earlier The Philippine National Police (PNP) has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to establish special desks to deal with election-related issues.
The special desks formed part of the PNP’s request to the Comelec to ensure honest and peaceful elections next year.
The PNP proposal to the Comelec to impose a total gun ban during the election period to help minimize election-related violent incidents in 2010 especially in three Samar provinces wherein the PNP regional office here is planning to recommend first district of Samar, 10 towns in Northern Samar and still undetermined number of towns in Eastern Samar to be placed under Comelec immediate area of concern because of incidents of killings as some cases were attributed to politics.
PNP is asking the Comelec to refrain from issuing gun ban exemptions during the election period to help minimize election-related violent incidents.
In fact in this region all PNP field commanders are now intensifying the campaign against loose firearms. Close to 100 unlicensed guns were also seized by the PNP from their continued campaign and all of the suspects were criminally charged.
“There are around 1.1 million loose firearms and half of them have expired licenses,” said General Bacolod who was here in the region the other day.
The two PNP officials admitted that firearms are used in committing crimes especially during election period and controlling their proliferation would somehow minimize the number of election-related violent incidents.
Under Executive Order 817-A signed by President Arroyo, the PNP will implement gun amnesty from Nov. 1 to 30 to help account for the number of loose firearms.
EO 817-A is an extension of EO 817, the gun amnesty program implemented from Oct. 1 to 31.
Bacolod however warned the people yesterday that more election-related violent incidents involving rival political clans could erupt in other parts of the country as politicians fight for control of their territories in the 2010 elections.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile earlier proposed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to take control of hotly contested areas and relieve all police and military units there to prevent more killings similar to the Maguindanao massacre.
As PRO-8 is actively and closely monitoring the political situation in Samar, top PNP officials in this region are in fact planning to deploy more troops in Samar to neutralize private armed groups controlled by some politicians.
Deputy regional director for operations Sr. Supt. Hitosis said that they are planning to deploy one more company of PNP in Samar so that peaceful and honest elections will be achieved. (MIRIAM GARCIA DESACADA)
- NBI agents get gun ban exemption from Comelec
- 21 arrested, 15 firearms confiscated in regionwide gun ban implementation
- Over 200,000 loose firearms owners in RP avail of gun amnesty program
- Comelec-8 announces full-swing voter’s education campaign
- PNP to intensify drive vs unlicensed firearms
