Filipino govt. eyeing election arms ban

MANILA, Philippines, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- The Philippines' Commission on Elections is concerned about possible violence surrounding upcoming elections.

Those concerns led the commission to have meetings with the Philippine National Police and the armed forces of the Philippines to discuss whether a total gun ban should be imposed in advance of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, scheduled for Oct. 25, The Philippine Star reported Friday.

Elections Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the three agencies would discuss how election-related violence could be avoided, noting that implementation of a total weapons ban is the primary strategy under consideration.

Larrazabal said: "We may have the command conference either next week or the week after that. We'll then decide if we have to implement a total gun ban again."

The Commission on Elections imposed a gun ban during the country's May 10 local and national polls and many government officials credit it with helping reduce violence during the electoral period.