Espino orders gun ban

By January 27, 2008Headlines, News

ALARMED BY KILLINGS

LINGAYEN-Ban the gun in Pangasinan.

Governor Amado Espino Jr., alarmed by the spate of killings involving firearms, has ordered Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, police provincial director, to impose a province-wide gun ban effective Tuesday.

Espino cited among others the still unresolved gun slaying of San Carlos City Mayor Julian Resuello in April last year and the most recent one involving the bodyguards of the mayor and vice mayor of Tayug town.

“I think that is very alarming,” Espino said, adding, “And I hate to see people moving around with firearms in a peaceful province like Pangasinan.”

“I am ordering this as the governor of Pangasinan,” he said.

Nerez, meanwhile, said, “ We thank the governor for giving us continuous guidance on how to make the province of  Pangasinan  orderly and peaceful, a better place to sojourn and do business with.”

He said police authorities will fully implement the governor’s order and asked the public’s help in keeping watch on the province’s peace situation.

The governor, a former police superintendent who served as Pangasinan police director and Ilocos regional director, said he would personally visit checkpoints and arrest people carrying unlicensed guns or indiscriminately displaying their firearms.

Espino also called licensed gun-owners with permits to carry the guns to observe prudence.

He ordered the police to go after people carrying firearms in public particularly inside cockpit arenas, restaurants and entertainment joints.

He said while he respects the right of some politicians who have armed bodyguards or escorts, he warned the politicians about the use of their security details as private armies.

He said he understands that there are some people who need to protect themselves “but this should be limited only to protection “.

“My interest here is to protect the innocent people and I believe this (move) is just proper because Pangasinan is a peaceful province,” he said. #

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