At least 6 arrested on gun ban’s 1st day
At least six people were arrested on Sunday, the first day of the nationwide gun ban during the start of the 150-day election period for the May 12 polls.
According to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Garcia, police recorded gun ban violations in five areas: Buluan, Maguindanao; Iloilo City; Malasiqui, Pangasinan; Cainta, Rizal; and Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
Among those arrested was Private First Class Jude Lhuel Ordeniza, assigned at the Philippine Army Aviation Regiment, during a checkpoint in Cabanatuan City.
According to the police report, Ordeniza was driving his sedan when he passed by the checkpoint where his 9-mm pistol was caught “in plain view” inside his car.
While he was able to present his firearm’s license and other documents, the soldier was not able to present a certificate of exemption issued by the Comelec.
During the election period from Jan. 12 to June 11, only personnel of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other law enforcement agencies who are performing official duties and wearing their uniforms will be allowed to carry firearms.
Any gun permit—permit to carry firearms outside of residence, letter orders and mission orders—is suspended during this period.
Those who seek exemption should obtain a certificate of authority from the Comelec’s Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC), depending on their nature of work
1,131 exemptions
Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, head of the CBFSC, said that as of Sunday, a total of 1,131 individuals and security agencies have been issued certificates of exemptions.
Violating the gun ban is an election offense, which carries a penalty of imprisonment of up to six years and disqualification from holding public office, in addition to penalties for other crimes an offender may be found have committed.
If the offender is a foreigner, he will be summarily deported after serving the sentences for the election offense, the separate charge of illegal possession of firearms and other crimes, if any.
Filipinos will also be prosecuted for the election offense, in addition to other crimes, but the PNP may also suspend or revoke the firearms permits issued to the violator.
“Try and violate [the gun ban],” PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said on Sunday. “We will remove you. You will not be able to legally carry guns for life.”
As in previous elections, the PNP is legally authorized by the Comelec to put up checkpoints, as specified in Resolution No. 11067 of 2024.
1,472 checkpoints
A total of 1,472 checkpoints across the country have been set up to implement the gun ban, especially in areas tagged by authorities as areas of concern, Marbil said.
During checkpoints, the “plain view doctrine” shall be observed by officers. This means motorists need only to lower their windows and turn on the lights inside their vehicles when passing through the checkpoints.
Police are prohibited from opening a vehicle’s trunk or glove compartment, as well as requiring drivers and passengers to disembark and be frisked.
But the police may take appropriate measures if it is evident in plain view that a crime or several crimes are being committed.
Marbil reminded PNP personnel stationed at checkpoints to always wear body-worn cameras or any alternative recording device to ensure transparency and accountability.
“The public should not be afraid of these checkpoints. These are set up to ensure the peace and order of the public, so that they can freely move and not be threatened by lawless elements,” Garcia said.
