Officer-in-Charge Catalino S. Cuy of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) lauds alert members of Task Group (TG) Central Luzon for arresting a man in Angeles City, Pampanga for violating the gun ban being implemented as part of the tight security measures for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Citing a report submitted to him, Cuy says elements of TG Central Luzon led by Police Chief Inspector Dennis B. Duran were conducting security inspection at around 4:20 pm of November 9 in Clark Freeport Zone when they noticed a black sling bag under the flooring of a brown Mitsubishi Montero with plate number RMU 981.
According to the report, it was discovered that the bag contained a Caliber 45 pistol, four magazines, and 33 live ammunition.
A case has already been filed against the vehicle owner, 37-year old Laurence Anthony O. Vicedo of Pandan, Angeles City, Pampanga, who is now detained at the Angeles City Police Station.
“We commend PCI Duran and his team for properly carrying out the security measures that we are currently implementing to achieve zero-incident this ASEAN,” Cuy says.
Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced the implementation of a 15-day gun ban in Metro Manila, Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac and Zambales.
With the enforcement of the gun ban, only members or officers of the police, military and other law enforcement agencies of the government will be allowed to carry firearms during the period. All persons in civilian attire carrying firearms will be presumed unauthorized to carry and will be subject to arrest and investigation.
Cuy, who is also the Chairman of the ASEAN Committee on Security, Peace and Order, Emergency Preparedness and Response (CSPOEPR), says the gun ban is part of the strengthened security measures to achieve zero incident during the ASEAN Summit.
“I am confident that just like Duran and his troops, our detailed 60,000 security forces all over Metro Manila and Central Luzon for this ASEAN Summit will also do the same when faced with similar scenario. They have undergone a series of briefings and debriefings, walkthroughs, dry runs, and other security measures and counter-measures for us to attain an incident-free week-long event,” he says.
TG Central Luzon is one of the teams organized by the ASEAN Security Task Force and the CSPOEPR to strictly enforce the security measures for the ASEAN summit. The CSPOEPR is composed of 21-member agencies headed by the DILG tasked to ensure a safe and peaceful summit.
