PNP arrests 486 as Comelec Gun-Ban starts

Nearly 500 persons were arrested for violating the ongoing election gun ban, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Monday.

The gun ban was imposed from the start of the election period on January 13 and will last until June 12.

As of Monday morning, 486 persons have already been arrested and 433 of them are civilians, based on the report of National Election Monitoring and Action Center of the PNP National Operations Center.

The rest include 33 security guards, eight government officials, nine policemen, one from the Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP), one member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and one from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Confiscated were 431 firearms, 115 bladed weapons, eight airguns, 13 grenades, five other explosive devices and 2,278 rounds of ammunition.

PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima said the police will remain active in enforcing the gun ban through checkpoints and operations to ensure the success of the Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE 2013) campaign. (PNA)