Malacañang on Sunday pledged to do everything it can to ensure an orderly and honest elections amid a new ruling by the Commission on Elections exempting incumbent lawmakers from the gun ban while the number of violators has risen to 500 since the ban took effect on Jan. 10, 2016.
“The Philippine National Police will help being a deputized agency of Comelec in the implementation of the amended policies regarding the gun ban,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
Comelec has exempted incumbent senators and congressmen including those running for posts in the May elections from the gun ban policy.
In Resolution 10047 promulgated last Jan. 28, the Comelec amended its ruling which said that only senators and congressmen who are not candidates in this year’s polls are allowed to carry firearms during the election period.
Comelec considered the opinion of its law department acting director Maria Norina Tangaro-Casingal who said although the congressmen have filed their CoCs, they are also not yet considered resigned from office.
Some officials who are authorized to carry firearms during the election period include the president, vice president, Cabinet secretaries, the chief justice and justices of the Supreme Court and the Ombudsman.
Police have seized 304 firearms, 14 grenades and over 3,000 other deadly weapons following the gun ban, which will last until June 8, 2016.