Another foreign passenger arrested for COMELEC Gunban violation

Caticlan, Malay Aklan – Seventeen days before the end of the election gun ban, another foreign passenger was arrested at NAIA Terminal 2 for violating Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, and the Omnibus Election Code, in relation to COMELEC Resolution No. 11067.

The passenger, a Romanian national, was scheduled to depart for Caticlan yesterday when a Security Screening Officer (SSO) detected ammunition inside his bag during an X-ray screening.

A manual inspection was immediately conducted in the presence of the passenger, which confirmed the presence of fifty (50) rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. He was subsequently arrested by the PNP Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP) and taken into custody for the filing of appropriate charges.

The arrested individual admitted ownership of the ammunition and claimed that he had forgotten to remove it from his backpack prior to his trip.

PBGEN Christopher M Abecia, Director of the PNP AVSEGROUP, issued a reminder to the public: “Even a single piece of ammunition can cause inconvenience when passing through our airports. Regardless of the gun ban, it remains illegal to carry such items without proper documentation.”###