ILOILO City – Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 28, bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons in public places is prohibited in view of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
This also marks the beginning of the election period, which will last until Nov. 29.
During the election period, no person shall bear, carry, or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized in writing by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“We [the Commission on Elections] together with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)] intend to have the first checkpoint right at the first minute of the start of the election period. We might have a nationwide, coordinated nga conduct of checkpoints at the start of the election period around 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 28,” Comelec-6 director Dennis Ausan told Panay News.
In Comelec Resolution 10918, released May 20, the poll body said applications for the issuance of a Certificate of Authority to Carry Firearms must be electronically filed before the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC) from June 5 until Nov. 15.
The filing may be done through the Comelec website at www.comelec.gov.ph.
The CBFSC refers to the Committee in the Commission, which shall be responsible for the implementation of the ban on the bearing, carrying, or transporting of firearms and other deadly weapons, the employment, availment, or engagement of security personnel, among others, and the rules and regulations on the application for exemption.
The President, Vice President, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (SC), the Senate President, all incumbent senators, the House of Representatives Speaker, all members of the House, and all justices of the SC, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals are exempt from the ban.
Also included in the exemption list are all judges of the regional, municipal, and metropolitan trial courts; the ombudsman, deputy ombudsman, and investigators and prosecutors of the ombudsman; the prosecutor general, chief state prosecutor, state prosecutors, and prosecutors of the Department of Justice; and officials and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Likewise given automatic exemption are Cabinet secretaries, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries; all election officers; provincial election supervisors; and regional election directors.
Gun ban violation is considered an election offense that carries a penalty of one to six years imprisonment without the possibility of probation and results in one’s loss of the right to vote and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Application for gun ban exemption
The application for gun ban exemption is ongoing, but Ausan said he has no data since the filing is done online and is being handled by the CBFSC.
Comelec-6, particularly the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC), only accepts applications for security detail.
As of now, Comelec-6 has received less than five applications for the provision of security detail.
Most were elected officials who wished to maintain security detail from the PNP.
Ausan said the RJSCC could issue applicants a temporary authority effective Aug. 28.
“Pag-start sang election period, kon indi sila mag-apply, i-recall na namon, waay na sila bodyguard or security detail. So, they need to apply for exemption,” Ausan added.
Comelec Resolution 10918 stated that “No person shall employ, avail himself/herself or engage the services of security personnel or bodyguards, whether or not such security personnel or bodyguards are regular members or officers of the PNP, AFP, other law enforcement agencies of the government, or from a private security service provider, unless authorized by the Commission, through the CBFSC or the RJSCC in case of a Temporary Authority-Security Detail.”/PN
