Quezon City: Intensified police operations from March 2 to 8 resulted in the arrest of 251 persons facing various offenses in Quezon City.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a news release on Sunday, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Acting Director Col. Melecio Buslig Jr. stated that those arrested include 89 wanted persons, 91 illegal gamblers, 62 drug suspects, and nine individuals for possession of illegal firearms. During this period, 43 anti-drug operations led to the arrest of 62 suspects and the confiscation of PHP1.8 million worth of illegal drugs.
For the campaign against illegal gambling, 91 individuals were arrested, and PHP30,772 in bet money was confiscated in 36 operations. As part of the campaign against wanted persons, 39 other wanted persons and 50 most wanted persons were apprehended. The respective courts of origin have been notified of these arrests, Col. Buslig added.
The QCPD also conducted eight operations against illegal firearms, leading to the recovery of 11 firearms and the arrest of nine individuals.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Sunday that it has recorded 11 confirmed election-related incidents (ERI) ahead of the May 12 midterm polls. PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo reported that nine of these were violent incidents involving shootings and stabbings, while two non-violent incidents in Region 6 involved malicious mischief and grave threats.
Fajardo mentioned that two more incidents are being validated to determine if they qualify as ERIs. An ERI typically occurs during the election period, with the suspect or victim being a candidate, a close relative of a candidate, a supporter, or a Commission on Elections official.
Regarding the election gun ban, the PNP has arrested 1,499 violators and confiscated 1,563 firearms as of March 6. Of the seized weapons, 134 were confiscated at checkpoints, while the rest were seized during various police operations.