SECURITY forces arrested a Cotabato town mayor, his two bodyguards, and his driver in Davao City on Tuesday night for violation of the election gun ban.
Arrested suspects are Nabalawag, Cotabato Mayor Anwar Zumpaga Saluwang, 48; bodyguards Maroufh Abas Usop, 30, and Prangco Bu-tulan Paglas, 33; and driver Samsudin Ayob Kabagani, 39.
A report from the Davao police regional office said PNP and Army per-sonnel manning a checkpoint in Sirawan, Toril District in Davao City flagged down the suspect’s pick-up truck at 10 p.m. for inspection, during which the security personnel saw a “handle grip” of a firearm at the left side of the driver.
They also saw a firearm at the floor matting between the feet of a pas-senger, who was later identified as Saluwang, who was seated at the back of the vehicle.
Also recovered were magazines and rounds of ammunition of Usop and Paglas.
Saluwang was appointed as officer-in-charge of the newly-created Nabalawag town last year. He is running for mayor in the coming nation-al and local elections in May.
Saluwang said he just attended a training activity in Davao City when his vehicle was stopped.
He said the firearms that were confiscated from them were licensed.
He said he has applied for gun ban exemption, but this has yet to be ap-proved by the Commission on Elections.
Authorities are implementing the election gun ban during the election pe-riod, which runs from January 12 to June 11.
As of last February 1, the PNP said 572 individuals have been arrested for violation of the gun ban, while 576 firearms have been seized.