PNP Crime Lab Tests Confiscated Guns During Gunban

(PIA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) crime laboratory is conducting ballistic examination on some 3,500 guns that were confiscated in the gunban in connection with the national and local elections last May 9, 2016.

According to PNP, the confiscated firearms are being tested to check if these ammunitions were used in a crime.

PNP spokesperson Wilben M. Mayor said that mandatory ballistics examination on confiscated firearms is mandated per rule 15.3 of the 2013 Revised Police Operational Procedures provides for the Mandatory Examination of Firearms Seized/Confiscated during Police Operations.

Mayor added that the mandatory procedure is an investigative tool that seeks to establish the possible involvement of suspected firearms in previous shooting incidents.

The same procedure requires all firearms, cartridges and slugs seized, captured or recovered during checkpoints or pursuit operations or in any other police operations including those seized during the service of warrants and, more importantly, those recovered from the crime scene shall immediately be submitted to the local Crime Laboratory (CLO) which shall in turn process it for capturing and cross-matching through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS).

As of May 13, police personnel confiscated assorted 3,492 guns since the nationwide gunban was put in effect by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

Police also confiscated some 37,428 bullets, 281 grenades and 313 explosive devices from violators.

“The guns and ammunition we confiscated are enough firepower to arm five or six battalions of combat troops,” according to Mayor.

He added that by taking away these instruments of violence from criminal elements and lawless individuals, the police was able to pre-empt imminent danger during the election period.

A total of 4,231 gunban violators have been arrested composed mostly of civilians (4,049). These violators face criminal prosecution for violation of the Omnibus Election Code and the Firearms and Ammunition Law.

The election gunban ends on June 8, 2016. (PNP/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)