Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman said they will charge Pablito Dote, 42, from Barangay Pinagbuhatan, with violating the Commission on Elections’ gun ban.
Ticman said Dote’s arrest was part of the EPD’s effort to take an aggressive stance against gun ban violators, whether they are civilians or in government service.
"This is part of our Task Force Halalan effort to maintain a peaceful and orderly May elections in our jurisdiction," Ticman said.
Dote was escorting a funeral hearse when he was spotted by parishioners brandishing a handgun inside the Mary Immaculate Conception parish church compound at 1:10 p.m.
A parishioner called up the police and Ticman dispatched a police team to arrest Dote, who yielded peacefully.
Recovered from Dote was a Norinco caliber .45 automatic pistol with a magazine loaded with 10 live bullets.
Dote presented documents to support his ownership of the gun, but failed to show papers that indicate he is exempted from the Comelec’s gun ban, which it imposed at the start of the campaign period for the May 14 elections.