Case filed vs ex-PDEA-7 official for Comelec gun ban violation

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Police Office filed a string of cases against the former K9 division chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 before the city prosecutor's office.

Carlito Ermac, 57, a resident of Barangay Alang-Alang, Mandaue City, is facing charges for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition under Republic Act 10591 and violation of the Commissions on Elections gun ban.

Ermac was arrested Monday afternoon after allegedly showing his gun shortly after casting his vote in Mandaue City Central School.

Police recovered from him a 9mm caliber pistol loaded with 18 live ammunitions.

When brought to the MCPO for questioning, he showed a letter of exemption for the Comelec gun ban issued by PDEA-7, an expired Firearm Possession license and a copy of a certificate to own and possess of firearms, which is active until April 2017.

The exemption covers two pistols and one rifle but this has expired on February 2015.

Ermac's arrest came after school security guard Jemar Pasco reported to police that he saw Ermac with a gun while inside his driven car.

MCPO director Senior Superintendent Jonathan Cabal yesterday said Ermac has "contested the arrest" hence there was no move from his camp to bail him out.

The Mandaue City police recorded 42 arrests in relation to the Comelec  gun ban since the law took effect last January 10 this year.

Based on the record of the MCPO, the bulk of these cases are from stations 1 and 3, while station 2 had six. Stations 4, 5 and 6 had two arrests each, and the Criminal Investigation Branch had one, while MCPO's Intelligence Detection and Management Branch (IDMB) had two.

Of the 42 cases of arrests, 33 were already elevated to the court, including Ermac's case. — (FREEMAN)