Businessman arrested for gun ban violation

A BUSINESSMAN was arrested at a checkpoint for violation of the election gun ban in Zamboanga City, a top police official said Wednesday.

The arrest made Wednesday was the second arrest by authorities since the election gun ban took effect nationwide three days ago.

The gun ban will remain in effect until June 13.

Police Station 3 chief Senior Inspector Noel Lozano identified the arrested businessman as Joaquin Diaz, a resident of Talisayan village, 26 kilometers west of the city.

Lozano said Diaz was arrested by combined police and military forces manning a checkpoint around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday in Sitio Malasugat, Sangali village, 25 kilometers east of the city.

Lozano said Diaz was arrested, although he possessed a firearms license, after he failed to present a gun ban exemption issued by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Confiscated from Diaz's possession was a caliber .45 pistol with nine rounds of ammunition, Lozano said.

The arrest of Diaz came three days after the police have arrested a security escort of a city councilor who was caught in possession of a .9-mm pistol with 13 rounds of ammunition.

Sabrando Manuel, 42, was arrested on Sunday, the day when the election gun ban took effect, at a checkpoint in the village of Boalan, eight kilometers east of the city.

He possessed a license to own firearms and permit to carry but has no Comelec-issued gun ban exemption.

Zamboanga City police officer-in-charge Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo has issued a stern warning that private gun owners without Comelec-issued gun ban exemption will be arrested and appropriate charges will be filed against them in court.