BACOLOD CITY (PNA) — Police Regional Office 6 Director, Police Chief Superintendent Isagani Cuevas is warning against the proliferation of spurious gun ban exemption permits being circulated by unscrupulous individuals nationwide.

Cuevas’ statement was relative to the early warning on the matter issued by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Such may be the reason why cases of gun ban violations continue to balloon as the country moves closer to the May 10, 2010 national and local elections, said Cuevas.

In Western Visayas, 93 out of 133 of gun ban violation cases have been filed in court.

Said statistics are included in the PNP National Headquarters’ record which lists 1,145 election gun ban violators since January 10, 2010 when the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-imposed prohibition on firearms took effect nationwide.

Persons arrested for violating the Comelec gun will be charged with violation of Comelec Resolution No. 8740 which prohibits the carrying of firearms, explosives and deadly weapons during the 150-day election period starting last January 10, 2010.

Cuevas said information reaching the PNP National Headquarters that fake Comelec Permit to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) purportedly issued by the poll body’s Committee on the Ban of Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP) which bears the forged signature of Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle was allegedly sourced from a certain Francisco Tan Jr. selling the fake permit at R5,000 a piece.

Cuevas said that all provincial and city police offices and Public Safety Management Companies have already been instructed to verify the PTCFOR they come across in checkpoints, or in any other police operations.