20 poll-related violent cases logged nationwide

MANILA, Philippines — The number of election-related violent incidents during the recent elections has risen to 20 from 16, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

The increase was noted after the PNP documented four more incidents including two each in Zamboanga peninsula and the Cordilleras, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said.

Of the 20 incidents, six were recorded in Zamboanga peninsula followed by five in Central Luzon, four each in Ilocos and the Cordilleras, and one in Northern Mindanao.

Fajardo said this year’s poll-related violent incidents are much lower compared to 166 cases in 2016 and 133 in the 2019 midterm elections.

Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, spokesman for the Department of the Interior and Local Government, attributed the decrease in the cases to early security preparations including deployment of additional police officers in different areas in the country.

Gun ban violators

Meanwhile, the number of people arrested for violating the election gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections has increased to 3,273.

The PNP said the arrests were made during the conduct of 3,068 law enforcement operations across the country including 1,171 in Metro Manila.

Of the arrested people, 3,141 are civilians followed by 61 security guards, 23 police personnel and 22 military men. The rest were unidentified.

Latest to be arrested for gun ban violation was Rovic Owen Abundo, who was collared during a police operation in Dasmariñas, Cavite on Sunday.

Abundo was arrested in Barangay Paliparan 3 for alleged possession of a gun with an unknown caliber.

Police said a total of 2,535 firearms and 145 gun replicas were confiscated as well as 1,054 bladed weapons, 131 explosives and 15,789 rounds of ammunition.

The gun ban will run until June 8, the end of the election period.