Confiscation, surrender of loose firearms seen to help minimize crime rate

These are some of the loose firearms surrendered or confiscated in the region. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7) director Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo believes the seizure of loose firearms will be a huge help in minimizing criminality in the region, especially as the 2022 election draws near.

This after personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) accounted at least 130 unlicensed firearms and four explosives during their Internal Security Operations (ISO).

“Kung dili totally mawala, mu bawasan gyud. Unya hapit naman sad ang election ang kato pung naay mga init kaayo og ulo, og di na gani kaagwanta,nagsalig kay naay armas,so walay laing mahunahunaan mugamit og armas,sa kainit sa ulo, muresulta og crimes,” he said. 

(If it will not be totally dissipated, at least it will be minimized. As the election draws near, those who can’t control their temper, if they are in possession of firearms, they might use it, which will eventually result in crimes.) 

These firearms will be forwarded to the Regional Civil Security Unit (RCSU), which will then be demilitarized later on. 

Montejo added that surrendering of loose firearms through their intensive operations and information dissemination is only one of their anti-criminality campaigns aiming, if not to stop, to at least minimize the number of individuals carrying these unlicensed firearms.

As of now, Montejo said that they haven’t monitored any particular crime group that might use loose firearms but they received reports of individuals involved in committing crimes using unlicensed firearms. 

With this, Montejo directed the city and provincial directors to continue their monitoring on presence of illegal firearms, especially now that the election period is approaching. 

The national election is slated May 2022.

“We will continue our Enhanced Managing Police Operations. We encourage the public to surrender their unlicensed firearms in any police station or to the RMFB,” Montejo said.

Montejo also said that there will be no case charged against individuals who will surrender unlicensed firearms.

For his part, Police Colonel Julius Salandoy, chief of RCSU, assured that these firearms will not be recycled by the police. 

Further, Police Colonel Robert Limbawan, RMFB-7 chief, said that these firearms will undergo ballistic examination to determine if these were used in previous illegal activities  recorded in the region.

Limbawan also said that they have yet to determine if these firearms were locally made. However, based on his personal assessment, he said some of these were manufactured in Danao City. 

/bmjo

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