The Commission on Elections said that they won’t issue gun ban exemptions in all areas where special elections are scheduled to be held on December 15, 2007.
The poll body has earlier pegged to 370 the number of Barangays nationwide that failed to conduct elections during the October 29, 2007 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls. The number includes 885 clustered (regular) precincts and 363 SK precincts.
Field officials of the poll body have attributed most failure of elections to the “occurrence of rampant and widespread threats, harassments and intimidations directed against members of the Board of Election Tellers, Board of Canvassers and civilians.”
Thus in order to prevent the recurrence of such violent incidents, “the Commission deems it necessary to totally prohibit the use, bearing, carrying and transporting of firearms or other deadly weapons by any private individuals including candidates, government officials and employees” states COMELEC Resolution 8379 promulgated 3 December 2007, as it declared that gun ban is set to take effect in all affected areas starting December 10-20, 2007.
Exempted to the ruling however, are uniformed members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assigned in these areas.
The COMELEC resolution likewise barred candidates, including incumbent Barangay officials seeking reelection in the affected areas, from employing or engaging the services of security personnel and body guards. ###
