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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

ZNPPO confiscates 34 assorted firearms

By Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY - The elements of the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Police Office(ZNPPO) has confiscated 34 assorted firearms during the continuing implementation of Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban in the province of Zamboanga del Norte.

Police Superintendent James B. Mejia, provincial director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Norte, said of the 34 firearms confiscated, 14 firearms came from the Zamboanga del Norte Public Safety Company (ZNPSC) which conducted regular checkpoints in various strategic points throughout the province, while the rest were firearms turned-over by the different municipal police stations in the province.

Aside from the firearms confiscated from the operations conducted by the local police force, 43 high-powered firearms and 121 low-powered firearms were also surrendered by the gun-holders to the ZNPPO.

The Comelec gun ban has been implemented starting Jan. 13, 2013 until June 30, 2013.

In preparation for the upcoming election on May 13, Mejia said the PNP will continue its peacekeeping initiative to ensure the conduct of a peaceful political exercise.

The ZNPPO expects and augmentation force from the PNP Regional Command during the election period.

According to Mejia, his office is always in close coordination with the Comelec and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for a collaborative effort toward the conduct of a peaceful balloting in the province.

Recently, PNP Director-General Allan Purisima has included the province of Zamboanga del Norte in the list of 19 provinces placed under PNP’s “Areas of Concern” due to intense rivalry among the local candidates vying for various political positions in the coming elections. (PIA9)