On Sunday, the first day of the 150-day nationwide gun ban ahead of the May 12 elections, six individuals were arrested for violating the ban in various locations, including Buluan (Maguindanao), Iloilo City, Malasiqui (Pangasinan), Cainta (Rizal), and Cabanatuan City (Nueva Ecija). Among those arrested was Philippine Army Private First Class Jude Lhuel Ordeniza, who was detained at a checkpoint in Cabanatuan City after a 9-mm pistol was found in plain view in his vehicle. Although he had a firearm license, Ordeniza lacked a certificate of exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The gun ban, which runs from January 12 to June 11, restricts the carrying of firearms to personnel of law enforcement agencies who are on official duty and in uniform. Exemptions can be granted by the Comelec’s Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC), which has issued certificates to 1,131 individuals and agencies. Violating the ban is a serious election offense, punishable by up to six years in prison and disqualification from holding public office.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has set up 1,472 checkpoints nationwide, especially in high-risk areas. Police are authorized to enforce the ban by checking for firearms in vehicles, using the “plain view doctrine” to search only visible items. Checkpoint officers are also required to wear body cameras to ensure accountability.
SOURCE: Dexter Cabalza, Frances Mangosing, Inquirer.net
