Police steps up election-related security measures as voting day nears

WITH MORE than 4,500 violators of the election gun ban arrested as of April 22 from Jan. 13, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is stepping up security measures as the May 13 midterm voting nears. PNP Chief Police General Oscar D. Albayalde, in a press briefing on Monday, said the arrests yielded 3,807 firearms, 256 grenades, 500 explosive devices, 32,000 rounds of live ammunition, and 1,554 other deadly weapons. Mr. Albayalde said the PNP will be stricter in the implementation of the nationwide gun ban, along with other law enforcement procedures. “The PNP will be making the necessary adjustments to beef-up election security and law enforcement operations, particularly in enforcing the nationwide election gun ban and operations against private armed groups, gun-for-hire syndicates and criminal organizations that pose a threat to peaceful polls,” he said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas