A TOTAL of 45 persons were arrested and 47 firearms were confiscated in the first three days of the Commission in Elections' (Comelec) gun ban implementation for the midterm polls.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) National Election Monitoring and Action Center (Nemac) reported that from 12:01 a.m. of January 13, Sunday, until 6 a.m. of January 15, Tuesday, the PNP, with assistance from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has conducted 6,264 checkpoints in strategic areas across the country, resulting in the arrest of 45 persons and the seizure of 311 deadly weapons, including firearms and bladed weapons.

At least five persons were also recorded to have died while police checkpoints were conducted -- two in Bulacan, two in Nueva Ecija and another one in Quezon City.

The PNP also recorded eight suspected cases of election-related violence -- six in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and two in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).

The PNP said the recorded election-related violence cases are still subject to validation, as the incidents are still under investigation.

The PNP is mandated to implement the nationwide gun ban by conducting checkpoints, which is part of security measures for the upcoming elections.

The election period started on January 13, Sunday, and it will last in June. (SunStar Philippines)