COMELEC employee arrested for gun ban violation

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
February 8, 2013

CAMP SEC. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – An employee of the Commission on Elections was arrested by the police on Wednesday night for violation of the gun ban that is being imposed by his own agency.

“We have to enforce the law without favor even if the violator is connected with the office mandating us to implement such rule,” said Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8).

The Philippine National Police is one of the deputized agencies by the poll body as a partner in ensuring secure and fair elections per Comelec Resolution No. 9571.

Soria identified the suspect as Pedro Sugalan y Orosco alias Peter, 46, married, utility worker of the Comelec Samar Provincial Office and a native of Brgy Paypayon, Oras, Eastern Samar.

Reports reaching PRO8 disclosed that at around 11:10 o’clock Wednesday evening, an information was relayed to Catbalogan City Police Station on alleged gun burst heard at the vicinity of COMELEC Samar Provincial Office located at Old Justice Building along Curry Ave., Brgy. 7, Catbalogan City.

A police team was immediately dispatched to the area to validate the veracity of the report that resulted to the arrest of Sugalan and the confiscation of one caliber .25 pistol marked Phoenix Arms Ontario model HP25 bearing serial number 4163916 with firearm license number 117362212282750 with one magazine loaded with 6 live ammunition; one inside holster and 2 fired cartridge of .25 caliber.

Suspect was immediately brought to Catbalogan City Police Station for proper disposition and subsequently brought to Samar Provincial Hospital for medical examination and Samar Provincial Crime Laboratory Office for paraffin test while the confiscated firearm and ammunition was subjected for ballistic examination and gun residue test.

The top police official further informed that a case for violation of section 32 of RA 7166 in relation to COMELEC Resolution Number 9561-A was already filed against Sugalan at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Catbalogan City docketed under NPS-VIII-08-INQ-13B-00361 on February 7, 2013.

Suspect was immediately released after paying the recommended bailbond in the amount of P12,000.00.

Under Section 32 of RA 7166, during the election period, no person shall bear, carry or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized in writing by the Commission on Elections. The issuance of firearms licenses shall be suspended during the election period.