ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 13, 2013) – Police authorities in Western Mindanao awarded 15 officers and lawmen for their outstanding accomplishments in the implementation of the total gun ban in Zamboanga Peninsula.
Regional police director Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño, Jr. commended the awardees for a “job well done” in the implementation of the six-month gun ban ordered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to ensure peaceful local and national polls in May.
Hundreds of illegal weapons had been seized by policemen in various checkpoints in the region since the ban began in January.
Lawyer Francisco Pobe, COMELEC regional director, who was the guest of honor and speaker during the awarding ceremony held at the regional police headquarters in the village of Mercedes also praised the police officers.
Regional police spokesman Inspector Ariel Huesca said the awardees who attained highest accomplishment in the implementation of the COMELEC gun ban were Senior Superintendents James Mejia, officer-in-charge of the Zamboanga del Norte Police Office; Thomas Abella, officer-in-charge of the Zamboanga Sibugay Police Office; and Edwin de Ocampo, officer-in-charge of the Zamboanga City Police Office.
He told the Mindanao Examiner that for the Provincial Public Safety Company Category, the awardees were Superintendent Reynaldo Maclang, commander of the Provincial Public Safety Company; Inspector Roldan Molate and two non-commissioned police officers PO2 John Harold Barros and PO1 Joseph Capino, of Zamboanga del Norte Police Office.
Huesca said Inspector Noel Lozano and SPO3 Miralam Baring, PO3 M Sorilla and PO1 Noel Falcasantos, Jr., from the Zamboanga City Police Office, also received the same awards.
On the Municipal Police Stations category, the Polanco Municipality Police station was awarded the Highest Accomplishment in the Implementation of COMELEC gun ban. And Inspector Edison Alviar, SPO4 Sergio Sumagang, SPO2 Marlon Velasco and PO3 Simeon Wapelle, Jr. of the Zamboanga del Norte Police Office Warrant Section received the same award for garnering the highest number of arrest in the campaign against wanted persons.
“Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño, Jr. expressed warm gratitude to the awardees for their unsolicited commitment in the implementation of laws and a job well done,” Heusca said. (Mindanao Examiner. With a report from E. Dumaboc)
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