Firearms, grenades
seized by policemen

Four firearms, including an M-16 assault rifle, and two fragmentation grenades were seized in police operations in cities of Kabankalan and Silay, and in Hinigaran, all in Negros Occidental, Senior Supt. Manuel Felix, police provincial director, said yesterday.

A combined team of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the NOPPO Public Safety Management Company armed with a search warrant swooped down Saturday on the house of Elmojer Arino, in Purok Malinong, Brgy. Binicuil, Kabankalan.

Felix said the raid yielded an M-16 assault rifle with three magazines containing ammunition, and a .45 caliber pistol with 17 bullets.

Arino, however, was not at his residence when it was raided by policemen, he added.

Senior Inspector Sonny Boy Bernus also reported yesterday the confiscation of two fragmentation grenades and a .38 caliber revolver from Teodoro Ela Jr. in Brgy. Calapi, Hinigaran.

Bernus, Hinigaran police chief, said Ela was arrested by a police team led by PO3 Tony Bernan, who were securing the barangay fiesta celebration in the place.

He said Ela was about to lob a fragmentation grenade, when he was accosted by the police. Ela, however, managed to escape, but left behind the two explosives and the gun.

In Brgy. E. Lopez in Silay City, Edmund Galagate, 23, was also arrested Saturdayby troopers of the 6th Regional Public Safety Management Battalion, for illegal possession of firearms and for violation of the Comelec gun ban.

Supt. Jerry Bartolome, Silay police chief, said a homemade shotgun was recovered from Galagate, who has been turned over to them for detention by the 6th RPSMB.*GPB

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Region 6 PNP records
103 gun ban violators

The number of arrested gun ban violators in Western Visayas reached 103 Saturday, with Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and Bacolod City Police leading  in the accomplishment,police records show.

NOPPO has accounted for 29 violators with BCPO trailing behind, with 16 suspects arrested, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, chief of the Regional Operations and Plans Division of the Western Visayas police, said.

A total of 74 firearms, aside from  the bladed weapons and fragmentation grenades, wererecovered from the arrested suspects, De la Paz said.

Of the 103 gun ban violators, three are policemen, two soldiers and four militiamen, while the rest are civilians, police records also showed.

Region 6 police director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas, said the increase in the number of  persons arrested and the confiscation of guns are  results of their campaign almost three months before the May 10 elections.

The Iloilo City Police Office and Capiz Police Provincial Office arrested 15 violators each, Antique Police Provincial Office - 9, Aklan Police Provincial Office -8, while the Guimaras Police Provincial Office accounted for three violators.

Cuevas said policemen arrested for violation of the Comelec gun ban, including the two arrested in Negros Occidental, will undergo a month-long retraining program, and will face assignment in Maguindanao

Since the gun ban was enforced January 10, a total of 950violators have been arrested by the police andArmed Forces of the Philippines nationwide.

Among those arrested were 60 policemen, 35 military personnel, 34 government officials, and 821 civilians.

PNP chief Jesus Verzosa said the number of firearms and explosive devices confiscated were enough to ruin the chances of holding clean and credible national elections in May.

“By taking away these instruments of violence and oppression, we are taking a bold step towards ensuring honest and peaceful elections in 2010, Verzosa said.*GPB

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