• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A Bantay Bukid member was the first gun ban violator arrested by the police on September 2 in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, five days after the August 28 start of the election period for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Nabbed inside the Sagay City Police Station headquarters was Noel Coja, a 51-year-old widower, of Brgy. 2 poblacion, Sagay City.
The arrest of Coja came after Sagay City Election Officer Atty. Ryan Deldo reported to the city police that the suspect had threatened a bystander with a gun.
When he was brought to the Sagay City police headquarters and subjected to a bodily search, Coja was immediately arrested by the police on duty, after a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing six ammunition was recovered from his person.
Coja, reportedly a Bantay Bukid member assigned at the Northern Negros Natural Park, failed to present documents allowing him to carry a gun.
He is now detained at the Sagay City police custodial facility.*
