More than 100,000 policemen and soldiers will be deployed across the country starting this Sunday to sweep every town and city in search of all types of firearms as the nationwide gun ban starts in preparation for the May 2010 elections.

Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa said most of the security forces will be manning at least 3,500 checkpoints nationwide while others will conduct regular patrols especially in the 558 towns and cities that have been identified as election hot spots.

"Most of the election-related violence in the previous elections was perpetrated through the use of firearms. We will try to make this year's elections as peaceful and credible as possible through the strict implementation of the total gun ban that has been approved by the Commission on Elections," Verzosa said.

Based on guidelines approved by the Comelec, at least one checkpoint will be set up in each of the cities and municipalities across the country, to be manned by policemen and soldiers under the supervision of poll officials.

Verzosa said they will set up at least two more in areas with previous records of election-related violence and where they have monitored the presence of loose firearms and private armed groups.

"The presence of our police and military personnel will be felt starting tomorrow (today) because on the PNP side alone, we will be deploying some 50 percent, which is more or less 50,000, of our personnel to man the checkpoints, conduct patrols and hunt down armed groups," said Verzosa.

"We expect the same number of personnel to be deployed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines," he added.

Last Saturday, the PNP leadership activated a battalion of its elite unit, the Special Action Force (SAF) in Zamboanga City, to maximize the deployment of troops in troubled areas in Mindanao.

Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago, SAF director, said some of the 385-strong 5th Special Action Battalion have already deployed to Basilan and Sulu while the rest are currently awaiting deployment orders.

On Saturday, a company of SAF troopers, composed of more or less 80 men, were dispatched to Masbate, one of the election hot spots in Luzon. The troopers are expected to arrive in the island province in Bicol this Sunday.

Armed with enhanced grenade launchers, Santiago said the newly activated SAF battalion will concentrate mainly in Mindanao. Most will serve as augmentation forces for policemen and soldiers already deployed not only in Sulu and Basilan but also in Iligan City and Maguindanao.

Based on intelligence reports from the police and military, there are a total of 68 PAGs (private armed groups) across the country, 25 of them in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

"We want to dismantle these partisan armed groups in the soonest possible time because they pose serious threats to the coming elections," said Verzosa.

"We advise legitimate gun owners to refrain from carrying their firearms because we want to remind them that all permits to carry firearms outside residence have been cancelled; no exemptions," said Verzosa.

Only members of law enforcement agencies and PNP-accredited private security agencies that will be tapped as escorts of candidates are allowed to carry guns, but with a condition that they should be in uniform.

In Metro Manila, Northern Police District Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr. has ordered the four chiefs of police under him to ensure the conduct of honest, orderly and peaceful elections in their respective jurisdiction.

Pagdilao’s directive was made during a meeting with the CAMANAVA (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) Joint Security Control Center that will oversee the implementation of election security measures in the district and process requests for personal security details of candidates.

Under the law, all applications for security details will be processed by the JSCC and are subject to the approval of the Comelec. Temporary security detail may be granted by the JSCC for a period of 50 days.

Early this week, Pagdilao ordered police city hall detachments deactivated.

The 46 policemen formerly assigned to these detachments were transferred to the different police precincts effective December 28, 2009 for additional visibility patrols.

The Comelec and police authorities in Southwestern Mindanao meanwhile said they might not grant any exemption to the gun ban due to the volatile peace and order condition in the region.

Comelec regional director Michael Abas said they will fully implement the total gun ban as provided for under Comelec Resolutions 1814 and 8714 aimed to ensure security during the election period.

“Definitely we will not be issuing any exemption to any civilian, including the politicians,” Abas said.

Abas said strictly enforcing the gun ban will restrict and control the movement of alleged private armies or armed bands being controlled by some politicians in the region and the neighboring areas. (With reports from Ed Mahilum and Nonoy E. Lacson)