NCRPO to strictly enforce election gun ban

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Saturday that the election gun ban in Metro Manila will be strictly enforced beginning January 9.

NCRPO chief Police Major General Vicente Danao Jr. said all kinds of firearms with a license and permit to carry will not be allowed to be brought outside of the owner’s residence during the imposition of the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) gun ban.

The Comelec recently issued Resolution 10728 that prohibits unauthorized firearms and bodyguards ahead of the elections.

The resolution bans bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or deadly weapons outside residence or place of business and in all public places from January 9 to June 8, 2022 or for a total of 150 calendar days.

Under the resolution, only the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine Coast Guard and members of other law enforcement agencies, are exempted from the gun ban, as long as they obtain authorization from the Comelec and wear agency-prescribed uniform while performing official duty during the election period.

Danao advised personnel of the law enforcement agencies to wear their proper uniforms to avoid getting into trouble.

The police would also check the vaccination cards of everybody going outside, he said.

“Aside from the Comelec gun ban [that] we will be strictly implementing, we will also inspect IDs kasama na rin po natin dyan yung vaccination cards, only APORs (authorized persons outside of residence) are allowed to go outside lalo na kung wala kayong vaccine card,” Danao told Super Radyo dzBB.

(Aside from the Comelec gun ban that we will be strictly implementing, we will also inspect IDs, including the vaccination cards and only APORs are allowed to go outside, especially if you do not have a vaccine card.)

“We advise you na huwag muna lumabas for the meantime dahil nasa Alert Level 3 tayo ng COVID aside from the strict implementation of gun ban sa buong NCR,” he added.

(We advise the public not to go outside for the meantime because we are under Alert Level 3 amid the rise of COVID-19 infections aside from the strict implementation of gun ban throughout NCR.)

The PNP earlier said that it would focus on controlling the proliferation of illegal firearms and the use of unauthorized bodyguards for politicians to help ensure peaceful and orderly elections on May 9. — Richa Noriega/VBL, GMA News