MANILA, Philippines -  The mayor of Malinao town, Albay province is in hot water for using a fake gun ban permit while carrying a caliber 45 pistol and ammunition inside a major airport.

Elements of the Aviation Security Group arrested Malinao Mayor Billy Ceriola at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for using a fake gun ban exemption certificate for his weapon and ammunition.

Senior Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton said Ceriola was arrested inside Philippine Airlines flight PR277 bound for Legazpi, Albay. He said the Commission on Elections denied issuing a permit to Cuaton.

Ceriola, meanwhile, said a certain Fred Llorica processed his gun ban permit for P5,000. He said he had no idea that his gun ban exemption certificate was fake.

The mayor is facing possible criminal charges before the Pasay Prosecutor's Office.

The Comelec, meanwhile, warned the public about the proliferation of fake gun ban exemption certificates.

Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle, head of the poll body's gun ban committee, said it has discovered up to six such cases so far, the latest of which involved a mayor of Albay.

The Philippine National Police said fake gun ban certificates sell for P5,000.

Tagle reiterated that only law enforcement agencies such as the military and the police and other groups specified in Comelec resolution 8714 are exempted from the ban. They never grant exemptions for other individuals, he said.

"Now that we are in a nationwide gun ban, we don't grant exemptions. Malinaw 'yan," he said. "Even judges, prosecutors are asking for exemptions, pero hindi namin pinapayagan."

Meanwhile, Tagle said that so far, 1,630 gun ban violators and 40 partisan armed groups have been arrested.