SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — Combined police operatives in the Ilocos Region successfully arrested 43 violators of the total gun ban being implemented by the Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police to ensure clean, honest, orderly and peaceful elections in the May 2010 synchronized and automated polls.

Chief Supt. Constante Azares Jr., director of the Police Regional Office, said relentless operations by the police and military have resulted in the seizure of 43 high- and low-powered firearms from the arrested gun ban violators over the past 22 days since the gun ban took effect last January 10.

Of the total violators, 20 persons are from Pangasinan, 10 came from La Union, seven from Ilocos Sur and six from Ilocos Norte.
Aside from the seized firearms, Azares also reported they were able to confiscate at least 637 gun replicas from the different parts of the Ilocos Region.

The police official warned law enforcers that they will be immediately sent back to the different training schools once they are apprehended illegally carrying their firearms.

The arrested gun ban violators included a number of policemen, jail guards, an agent from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), a number of barangay kagawads and tanods and numerous civilians.

The PRO Region I also ordered police operating units in the four provinces to enhance implementation of mobile and stationary police checkpoints in strategic areas.