Camp BGen Efigenio C Navarro, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro – Two individuals with undocumented firearms and a 45-year-old gun ban violator were apprehended in separate law enforcement operations launched by police authorities in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro over the weekend.

The police report revealed that Eugenio Magmanlac Vicente, 54; and Ambrosio Balmes Atienza, Jr, 43, were arrested for allegedly possessing undocumented firearms and ammunition in separate implementation of Search Warrants for Violation of RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

Vicente, who hails from Sitio Kanluran, Barangay Pambisan, Baco, Oriental Mindoro, was apprehended on Saturday, May 28 about 7:00 AM by the operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 4B, together with the elements from Baco Municipal Police Station for possessing undocumented caliber .38 Smith and Wesson and several ammunition.

On the same day about 6:30 PM, Atienza Jr, who hails from Sitio Laway 1, Barangay Salcedo, Bansud, of the same province, was nabbed by the operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 4B together with the elements from Bansud Municipal Police Station, 101st Special Action Company from 10th Special Action Battalion, PNP-SAF, and Provincial Intelligence Unit of Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office, for allegedly possessing undocumented unit of a shotgun without a serial number, one caliber .45 firearm along with other several ammunition and other paraphernalia.

On the other hand, Niño Visitel Magpantay, 45, hails from Barangay Payompon, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, was arrested by the elements from Mamburao Municipal Police Station for carrying an undocumented homemade shotgun along a national road in Brgy. Balansay of the said town on Sunday, May 28 at 11:00 PM.

The data from the PRO MIMAROPA Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) revealed that 29 individuals had already been arrested for violating the COMELEC gun ban in the MIMAROPA since the start of the election gun ban in January this year.

PRO MIMAROPA Director Police Brigadier General SIDNEY SULTAN HERNIA reiterated that under Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution No. 10728, the bearing, carrying, or transporting of firearms or deadly weapons is prohibited outside the residence and in all public places from January 9 until June 8.– RPIO MIMAROPA