AS ELECTION period ended on Wednesday, June 8, the Police Regional Office (PRO)- Northern Mindanao conducted a total of 29,385 checkpoints across the region resulting to the confiscation of 244 firearms and the arrest of 172 gun ban violators.
PRO-Northern Mindanao Superintendent Surki Alday Sereñas said of the confiscated firearms, 117 are high-powered and 123 are low powered.
Police also filed 201 criminal charges against gun ban violators.
PRO-Northern Mindanao also highlighted the various peace initiatives including 92 peace covenants signing, 342 peace caravan, 459 unity walks and 389 peace dialogues that were conducted region wide as part of the Secure and Fair Election (Safe) 2016.
These initiatives led to the surrender of 39 assorted guns including two high powered firearms and assorted ammunition from a known private armed group in Lanao del Norte.
The 131 tripartite coordinating conferences and meetings among the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) were aimed at ensuring and achieving honest, orderly and credible elections.
Sereñas said the investigation of the Pryce Plaza ambush incident involving Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic and his driver Cairoden Gunting resulted in the identification of five suspects and filing of criminal charges against Edris Salindawan aka "Abu Hanif," Aleem JAmal Salindawal aka "Abu Nusair," Salanduin Edris, Abdul Khair Musok Radia and two others for two counts of frustrated murder at the Cagayan de Oro City Prosecutor's Office.
The manhunt against the suspect is still ongoing.
The attempt on the life of Salic was considered an election-related incident by the police.
Sereñas said the 2016 election was better off in terms of peace and order compared to the three previous elections, considering the absence of major violent incidents and failures of election which were prevalent in the three preceding elections.