In Western Visayas, the police have arrested 21 people for breaching the election gun ban since it began on January 12, according to police reports released on Tuesday. The most recent arrest involved a 54-year-old man caught with a gun replica at a checkpoint on Barangay Mansilingan–Murcia Road in Bacolod City late Monday night, as reported by the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6). Lt. Col. Arnel Solis, spokesperson for PRO-6, emphasized that carrying firearms or replicas without a certificate from the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concern is illegal during the election period. The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office reported the highest number of arrests with six, followed by the Bacolod City Police Office with five. Capiz PPO recorded four arrests, Iloilo City PO had three, and Aklan PPO, Iloilo PPO, and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 each arrested one individual. Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, PRO-6 Director, praised the unit commanders for their rigorous enforcement of the gun ban and urged them to continue their efforts at Comelec checkpoints to intercept those carrying unauthorized firearms and weapons. He also stressed the importance of adhering to police operational procedures and respecting human rights during these operations.
