Comelec employee nabbed

CATBALOGAN CITY, SAMAR, Philippines -  â€“ An employee of the Commission on Elections in this province was arrested Wednesday night by police operatives for allegedly firing a gun amid the existing gun ban through the mid-term election period.

Police identified the suspect as 46-year-old Pedro Sugalan, aka “Peter”, married and a utility worker of the Comelec-Samar Provincial Office.

According to reports obtained by The Freeman, concerned citizens heard a “gun burst” at around 11 p.m. that day at the vicinity of the Comelec office located at the Old Justice Building along Curry Avenue of this city and immediately reported the incident to the police.

Police operatives immediately proceeded to the area to validate the information, resulting in the arrest of Sugalan and the confiscation from him of a .25-caliber pistol, marked Phoenix Arms Ontario with serial no. 4163916, and a magazine loaded with six bullets.

The police also recovered from the scene two empty cartridges, believed to be from the reported gun shots heard by residents there.

In a media statement, Police Regional Office-8 director, Chief Supt. Elmer Soria said the arrest of the Comelec employee should serve as a stern warning to those who intend to violate the “gun ban policy” existing during the election period.

“We have to enforce the law without favor even if the violator is connected with the office mandating us to implement such rule,” Soria said.

He added that a case for violation of section 32 of RA 7166 in relation to Comelec Resolution Number 9561-A was filed on Thursday against Sugalan at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor and docketed under NPS-VIII-08-INQ-13B-00361.

Sugalan however was immediately released after paying the recommended bail of P12, 000.  (FREEMAN)