GUN BAN
214 firearms seized;
254 violators nabbed

The enforcement of the Comelec gun ban in Western Visayas led to the arrest of 254 violators, who include six military personnel and four policemen, and the confiscation of 214 firearms, 76 of them seized in Negros Occidental.

Western Visayas police chief, Wilfredo Dulay, in his report to PNP chief Oscar Calderon, yesterday said that, of the 254 gun ban violators arrested in Region 6 during the election period, 66 were nabbed in Negros Occidental.

On the other hand, the 3rd Infantry Division of the Army with units deployed in Negros, Panay, Cebu and Bohol, also reported to have confiscated six M-16 assault rifles, one M-14 rifles, a .45 caliber pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun in the provinces of Iloilo, and Cebu.

Lt. Col. David Tan, 3rd Infantry Division information officer, said the six high-powered firearms were taken from members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade arrested in San Joaquin, Iloilo, a week before the May 14 elections.

Police records show that 13 election-related violent incidents also took place in the region, with fatalities reported in Escalante City, in Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Antique.

The existence of alleged private armed groups in Moises Padilla and Escalante City, which were reportedly behind the election violence several days before the May 14 elections, are still being verified by the police.

PRO 6 records showed that the Iloilo Police Provincial Office topped the list with having the most number of gun ban violators placed at 55, Negros Occidental police -42, Capiz Police Provincial Office - 34, Bacolod City Police Office -24, Aklan and Antique Police Provincial Offices -16 each, Iloilo City Police Office -13, Guimaras Police Provincial Office - 8 and 6th Regional Mobile Group - 5.

In the accounting of loose firearms the IPPO and NOPPO accounted for 52 guns each, Capiz PPO- 27, BCPO- 24, Aklan PPO- 19, Antique PPO- 17, Iloilo City Police Office - 14, Guimaras PPO -7 and 6th RMG -6.

The PRO 6 also noted an increase in the number of confiscated high-powered firearms from 20 in the 2004 election, compared to 45 this year.

The military and police were ordered by the Comelec to coordinate their efforts in the campaign against private armed groups and the collection of loose firearms.

Camp Crame records show that a total of 1,820 firearms were seized from 1,964 gun ban violators nationwide.*GPB

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Trisikad driver arrested
for harassing female teens

A trisikad driver was arrested by residents and barangay tanods in Bacolod City yesterday for allegedly harassing teenaged girls and playing with his genitals in public.

Jason Cavello, 24, of Brgy., Tinampaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, was brought to the Police Station 2 by Albert Soriano, 41, and Claire Belonio, 51, for allegedly harassing their children and grandchildren in Brgy. 1, Bacolod City at about 3:30 p.m. yesterday.

Soriano, who has three daughters, aged seven, 13, and 15, said Cavello parked his trisikad at a sidewalk near his house in Purok Barracuda, in Brgy. 1, and maliciously looked at the children and teenagers in the area.

"Some of the older girls (in the purok) were wearing shorts while sitting outside their houses while the younger ones were running around. I saw him look at them, then he played with his (genitalia)," Soriano said.

Meanwhile, Belonio said that Cavello has been repeatedly doing this since last month in Purok Bangrus in Brgy 1. and she and other residents have chased him several times.

"He has been doing that in our place. He's a maniac," Belonio said.

She added that her daughter and her granddaughter, aged nine and 15, developed a fever when Cavello ran after them, recently.

Cavello, who is now residing with his aunt, Brgy. 1 however, denied the complaints against him, saying that he just passed by the area to look for passengers.

He also said, however, that he wants to ask for forgiveness from Soriano and Belonio.*PP

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