Cebu City cops seize 23 more loose firearms, grenade

Loose guns confiscated from Cebu City's mountain brgys in eight months are now 600

At least 23 loose firearms were confiscated by the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC) of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO). | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Cebu City have confiscated another 23 loose firearms in three days of conducting patrols in the mountain barangays of the city.

Police Lieutenant Randy Korret, City Mobile Force Company (CFMC) chief, said they visited the barangays in the hinterland areas of the city starting April 22 to 24, which resulted to the confiscation of the 23 firearms and one grenade.

Read more: One loose gun seized means one future crime prevented in Cebu City — CMFC Chief Korret 

Since August 2019, Korret estimated a total of at least 600 surrendered firearms to the CFMC during their patrols in the mountain barangays.

These mountain barangays are Tabunan, Tagbao, Adlaon, Taptap, Pung-ol, Sibugay, Babag, Malubog, Sirao, Guba, Agsungot, Mabini and Paril.

Read more: Mountain brgy residents in Cebu City turn over 179 loose guns, grenades, ammo

In an interview with CDN Digital, Korret said they would continue to ask the help of the barangay officials whenever they would plan to visit the areas so the information could be disseminated to the public and more loose firearms could be surrendered.

From previous reports, Korret said there were more than 25,000 loose firearms in Cebu City, which the Cebu City Police Office was aiming to recover.

“We are still far from our target but we will continue our relentless patrols,” said Korret.

Although additional tasks were given to them due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Korret said that they would try to continue visiting mountain barangays every other day in the same way they did before ECQ.

With this, Korret said they were hoping more people owning loose firearms would continue to show up to the authorities to surrender these loose weapons./dbs