The Philippine National Police in Negros Oriental has ordered the disarming of the police auxiliaries in Bayawan City and Valencia town pursuant to the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections prior to the May 13 polls.
These police auxiliaries are not covered by the Comelec gun ban exemptions.
However, to avoid a vacuum in potentially critical areas with unarmed police auxiliaries, the Comelec has approved the deployment of Special Civilian Armed Auxiliaries of the Philippine Army to man the police auxiliary detachments.
Sr. Supt. Alet Virtucio, acting Negros Oriental police director, said a total of 163 firearms from the police auxiliary units in Bayawan City and Valencia town were deposited at the Negros Oriental PNP Provincial Office for safekeeping.
Of the total, 148 long and short firearms belonging to the local government unit of Bayawan City and 15 pieces of .45 caliber handguns to the municipal government of Valencia, Virtucio said.
These firearms shall be returned to their respective LGUs after the election gun ban is lifted.
Supt. Virtucio explained the firearms issued by the two LGUs to their police auxiliaries have to be deposited with the NOPPO to prevent unauthorized use, weapons seizure or “agaw-armas” by lawless elements or even by individuals or groups with bad intent, and possible utilization during the elections.
Other LGUs in Negros Oriental that had previously trained and formed police auxiliary units, such as Dumaguete City, Tanjay City and Canlaon City, have not issued firearms to the civilian frontliners that act as a force multiplier for the local police.
According to Supt. James Goforth, police chief of the capital city of Dumaguete, the police auxiliaries, known as Public Safety Officers, were still being utilized to augment the organic PNP personnel but they have not been armed with guns ever since.
Election officials said the police auxiliaries could still continue with their functions without their guns and could carry other simple protective weapons not as deadly as guns, such as night sticks or clubs. (PNA)
