Police have arrested 20 policemen and three soldiers in the continuing implementation of the election gun ban which started last Jan. 13.
Senior Supt. Bernard Banac, spokesman of the Philippine National Police, said the 20 policemen are among the 1,731 gun ban violators who have been arrested in various parts of the country.
“They will face both criminal and administrative cases for this offense,” said Banac.
Two of the policemen were arrested in Iligan City a day before the second plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law early this month. They were escorting a local politician at the time of their arrest.
The PNP is leaving to the military the administrative actions to be imposed against the arrested soldiers.
Since the implementation of the gun ban, 1,380 guns and 11, 920 deadly weapons and gun replicas were confiscated.
Of the violators arrested, 1,635 of them are civilians, 22 are government officials, and 35 are security guards, while the rest are members of other law enforcement agencies and various threat groups.
The PNP is the main law enforcement agency tasked by the Commission on Elections to perform election duties, particularly on the aspect of security. (Aaron Recuenco)