Cagayan mayors, barangay heads can carry guns

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Mayors and village chiefs in Cagayan can still carry their firearms despite the province-wide gun ban imposed last week due to the spate of killings, a number of them believed to be politically motivated. 

However, police said these local officials and barangay heads are only allowed to carry their licensed firearms within their respective towns or barangays, and they must have the corresponding permit to carry these guns.

“While the gun ban (in Cagayan) is still in effect, the mayors are only allowed to carry their firearms within their town, while barangay chairmen can only do so within their respective villages,” said Chief Superintendent Francisco Villaroman, Cagayan Valley police director. 

“If they are caught carrying firearms outside their towns or villages, we will not hesitate to arrest them,” he said.

Police said bodyguards or security personnel of politicians should be in uniform when performing their duties. 

Except for these limited exemptions, Villaroman said nobody in Cagayan is exempted from the gun ban, which the provincial government and other sectors sought amid the rash of violence, including the failed slay try on Tuguegarao City Mayor Delfin Ting last Nov. 15.