Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur — Authorities arrested a motorcycle rider for illegal possession of a firearm during a joint checkpoint operation in Barangay Sapakan on May 7, 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to enforce the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) gun ban ahead of the 2025 National and Local Elections.
Personnel from the Rajah Buayan Municipal Police Station (MPS) and the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (RDEU BAR) manned the checkpoint under the Focused Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operation (SACLEO), which targets loose firearms and other illegal activities.
The suspect, who was riding a blue Honda XRM 110 motorcycle without a license plate, reportedly ignored police instructions to stop. Law enforcers pursued and intercepted the individual. Upon inspection, the suspect was found in possession of a loaded caliber .45 pistol bearing serial number 271307, a steel magazine, and seven live rounds of ammunition. The motorcycle had no official registration or certificate of registration.
The suspect failed to present any document authorizing possession of the firearm, prompting officers to arrest him for violating Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition, and the COMELEC gun ban.
All confiscated items were properly documented in the presence of a Barangay Councilor from Sapakan. The suspect is currently detained at the Rajah Buayan MPS, and the seized firearm will undergo ballistic examination by the Regional Forensic Unit of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (RFU BAR).
Police officials reiterated their commitment to upholding election-related security measures and urged the public to cooperate with law enforcement operations.