Teacher, 3 others face raps for poll gun ban violation

CEBU, Philippines - For allegedly bringing an unlicensed firearm inside a church, a part-time teacher of a state university is facing complaint before Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

SPO3 Danilo Laurente of Carmen Police Station told The FREEMAN that a complaint for illegal possession of firearm in relation to the Commission on Election gun ban will be filed today against Geofre Radoc, 51, a native of Siaton, Negros Oriental.

“Ugma (today) na namu i-file (the case) ingon ang among investigator kay hapon na nya considering sa traffic dili mi makaabot. So ugma (today) na 8 a.m. i-file,” Laurente said.

Radoc was arrested Sunday morning after he allegedly tried to have his .9mm pistol blessed during a mass inside St. Augustine de Hippo Church in Barangay Poblacion, Carmen.

The Carmen police received the alarm at around 6:15 a.m.    Radoc denied owning the gun during investigation, claiming he was just asked by a friend to have the firearm blessed with holy water.  The Comelec ban, which runs from January 10 to June 8, prohibits anyone from carrying firearms or deadly weapons outside their residence.

Three arrested

At least three persons were arrested by the police in Central Visayas as the nationwide gun ban takes effect on Monday.

Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy director for operations of the Police Regional Office-7, said although there were arrests on the first day of the gun ban, the region was peaceful.

Lawas said a motorist in Mandaue City was arrested for possessing an unlicensed caliber 22 magnum revolver. He said two other persons were arrested for possession of illegal drugs.

The PRO-7 has consolidated all reports from 126 police stations in the region after the first day of the Comelec gun ban.

“Out of 126 police stations in the region, one was caught in violation of gun ban in Mandaue, for bringing a cal. 22 magnum, two others were arrested with drugs. Very peaceful ang implementation of gun ban,” Lawas said.

“Checkpoints will be conducted every day,” he said.

Because of the election period, police officers assigned as security details to private individuals were pulled out by the regional headquarters.

Lawas said that “businessmen with threats should seek exemption from Comelec for security detail.”

Lawas reminded the public not to violate the gun ban because the law is very strict and does not give chance to violators to post bail.

He said the public can expect more police personnel conducting checkpoints in the streets.

Ammunition amulets

Meanwhile, Aviation Security Group-7 chief, Senior Superintendent Joselito Salido, urged airport passengers to leave ammunition amulets since they are prohibited under the Omnibus Election Code.

Amulets made of one component of ammunition are included in the gun ban.  A person possessing ammunition in public places like airports will be arrested and will be charged with violation of the code.

Salido however said that when the gun ban started to take effect, nobody was arrested except for a passenger who was arrested at the Dumaguete City airport last week for possession of ammunition.

To boost public awareness, Salido said fliers on the Comelec gun ban will be distributed to passengers.

He assured that incidents of ‘tanim-bala’ will not happen in Cebu. (FREEMAN)