NEARLY 3,500 individuals have been arrested by authorities for violating the continuing election gun ban, the PNP said yesterday.
Information from the PNP Command Center in Camp Crame showed that 3,461 were arrested in 3,250 operations that were launched nationwide since January 9, the start of the election period.
The election gun ban will be implemented until June 8, the end of the election period.
The arrested suspects included 26 policemen and 22 soldiers, the PNP said.
Metro Manila topped five regions with the highest number of violators with 1,245, followed by Calabarzon (373), Central Visayas (360), Central Luzon (313) and Western Visayas (200).
A total of 2,683 firearms, gun parts, gun replicas and 16,716 ammunition were seized by authorities during the same period. Also seized were 137 explosives and 1,103 bladed weapons.
Officials have been reminding the public that while the national and local elections were held last May 9, the implementation of the gun ban will continue until June 8 in keeping with the Omnibus Election Code.
Police arrested a barangay captain in Cauayan City, Isabela and his two sons for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition last Saturday.
They were identified as Barangay Buyon Chairman Jessie Eder Sr., 60, and his farmer sons Ed, 33, and Roy, 33.
The Isabela provincial police office said the three were arrested by virtue of a search warrant issued by Cauayan City judge Reymundo Aumentado.
Seized from them were three cal. 45 pistols, a cal. 38 revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, two improvised shotguns, an improvised cal. 22 handgun, magazines, and assorted ammunition.
