PRO-8 beefs up urban force, imposes gun ban in E. Visayas

CATBALOGAN CITY, SAMAR, Philippines - About 75 new policemen from Katindig Class 2013 of the Philippine Public Safety College (PPST) based in Tacloban City will form part of the augmentation force that will be fielded in the region's urban areas to assist the police regular force in the coming barangay polls and the Christmas season.

Police Regional Office-8 director, Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, made this statement while announcing also that the PNP, starting today, is imposing a 45-day gun ban in relation to the barangay elections on October 28.

Soria said all gun permits are suspended 30 days before the polls and 15 days after, and warned gun permit holders not to bring their guns outside their residence unless they have a written exemption from the Comelec.

"The new policemen were deployed to various stations on Friday, we have 16 in Tacloban City, 10 each in the cities of Ormoc, Calbayog and Catbalogan, and five each in the cities of Baybay, Maasin and Borongan, and the towns of Catarman, Palo and Naval (Biliran)," Soria said.

He added that, with the onset of the holiday season plus the elections, reinforcement of police personnel in the urban areas around the region is vital to beef up police visibility, deter crimes and help in the maintenance of peace and order.

With the imposition of the gun ban, Soria ordered the setting-up of checkpoints in strategic areas in coordination with the AFP and the Comelec, intensifying the PNP's Oplan Bakal/Sita and implementing search warrants.

Soria further clarified that, based on Comelec Resolution 9735, gun ban exemptions obtained from the Comelec during the last May polls will still be honored for the barangay elections this October.

During the 6-month gun ban in the May polls, PRO-8 arrested 186 violators, 177 of whom were civilians, three were soldiers and six were security guards. Of this number, 22 were arrested at checkpoints, 106 were due to police response, 19 via search warrants and 32 during police operations. (FREEMAN)