CAMP BGEN OSCAR FLORENDO, La Union—The Ilocos police regional office has been cited as the most successful in police intervention operations against loose firearms and criminal elements in line with the May elections.

Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, regional director, said the regional office has been listed by the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) as having the most   number of confiscated firearms among the 17 police regional offices (PROs) nationwide as of March 1.

The second and third placers are PRO8 (Eastern Visayas) PRO4A (National Capital Region), respectively.

Bataoil said as of March 10, PRO1’s continuing anti-crime operations during this election period yielded, 59 firearms, one hand grenade, and four bladed weapons.

He added that forty-five have been arrested for violating the gun ban while one peace covenant was held in Aringay, La Union, and six conference meetings /seminars have been held. The police force has also gotten rid of thousands of illegal posters in Pangasinan (2,963), La Union (1,555), Ilocos Sur (268), and Ilocos Norte (40).

Bataoil also said criminal elements who might offer their services as Partisan Armed Groups are the targets of their raids, searches and checkpoints.

He said their operation includes neutralization of New People’s Army / Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB) in the area and their so-called Permit to Campaign operation.

Last Feb. 12, PRO1 arrested the top RHB leader Domingo Tarectecan and his aide Cris Balneg.

Two murder cases, which could be politically-motivated — that of Rene Parayno, son of Urdaneta City Councilor Julio Parayno; and Mario Gayo, brother of  Vice Mayor Gayo of  Tubao, La Union — are also being investigated by the Pangasinan and La Union police provincial offices.—EVA

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