Comelec: US forces gun-exempt

To avoid legal hitches, the Commission on Elections (Co-melec) has exempted from the election gun ban American forces taking part in joint military exercises in various areas in Luzon from April 27 to May 18.

The Visiting Forces Agreement Commission said the Comelec has required the foreign affairs secretary’s office to furnish its committee on firearms and security personnel the list of actual participants to the "Balikatan 2001," which could number over 3,000.

Balikatan 2001, the second large-scale war games since the VFA was ratified, will involve civil-military operations, combat simulations, live fire exercises and troop deployment drills.

Earlier, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. said a gun ban exemption was important since the presence of US soldiers might violate the poll body’s regulations and prohibitions protecting the electorate and the electoral process. — Aurea Calica