Two hundred individuals, including 10 government workers, in the region were arrested during the five-month imposition of the election gun ban.
The Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC), in its report to the Police Regional Office XI, said among those arrested were four police personnel, three government officials, two military personnel, and one militiaman. Of the 190 other arrested individuals, five were security guards and 13 were alleged members of groups considered as threat.
Police confiscated 261 weapons – 128 small firearms, 65 improvised firearms, and 68 other deadly weapons (grenades, explosives, bladed weapons) – and 1,749 ammunitions.
During the ban, which was implemented from January 13 up to June 12, only one election-related violence was reported.
During the same period, police “neutralized” 25 suspects who opted to fight with the operating teams.
Police Regional Office 11 Director, Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales said operation seized “overwhelming numbers” of violators and weapons due to their “relentless” conduct and implementation of search and arrest warrants, checkpoint operations, buy-bust and police response.
The highest ranking government arrested for gun ban is Levy Jo Lumando, a town councilor of Manay, Davao Oriental.
Police recovered rifle grenade, a hand grenade, a .45 caliber pistol, short magazines, several live ammunitions and several sachets of suspected shabu.
