24 ilocos gun ban violators nabbed

By Hilda Austria 

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Ilocos Police Regional Office (PRO-1) has arrested 24 gun ban violators and has confiscated 22 firearms from Aug. 28 to Oct. 6 this year. 
    In a phone interview on Friday, Corporal John Patrick Soriano, staff member of Police Information Office, said of the total number 17 were in Pangasinan, two in La Union, three in Ilocos Sur, and two in Ilocos Norte.
    He said the violators were apprehended in 10 police responses, eight in search operations, three checkpoints, and one each in Oplan Sita (campaign against motorcycle riding-in-tandem), Oplan Bakal (campaign against loose firearms), and buy-bust operation.
    Soriano said the arrested suspects are still in jail while cases were filed against them. 
    Ilocos Police regional director Brig. Gen. John Chua, in a statement late Thursday, said these accomplishments are just a part of PRO-1’s intensified police operations showing the Ilocos police are serious in its campaign, particularly in stopping the proliferation of loose and unregistered firearms that could be used during the election period. 
    This is complemented by the extensive information campaign on loose firearms that resulted in the surrender and deposit of 332 assorted firearms by their owners to authorities for safekeeping. 
    Of the total number of surrendered firearms, 131 were in Ilocos Norte, 78 in Ilocos Sur, 28 in La Union, and 95 in Pangasinan. 

“I ordered our operatives on the ground to intensify police operations against loose and unregistered firearms especially that the election is fast approaching,” Chua said.

He also assured that the police remain apolitical and nonpartisan to facilitate an honest, safe and honest election. --PNA