A ban on carrying firearms went into effect in the Philippines Sunday ahead of local elections. The gun ban was issued amid a heated debate about the need for stricter controls following a series of shooting deaths. According to Philippine authorities, the ban will end on June 13 and is meant to curb violence linked to the mid-term elections in May, when the country will elect thousands of officials ranging from governors to senators. Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez said on radio station DZMM that they have set up random checkpoints across the country. The ban covers the carrying of firearms, the hiring of armed bodyguards by candidates and the transporting of arms or explosive materials by anyone except the police, the army, and President Benigno Aquino. Carrying an unlicensed firearm is punishable by up to six years in prison.