Col. Joel Tampis presents confiscated firearms to Brig.Gen. Valeriano De Leon. Photo by Ernie Esconde
BALANGA CITY — The Bataan police provincial office on Thursday presented to the newly installed Police Regional Office 3 director 134 assorted firearms it confiscated and reported the arrest of 199 persons in its conduct of simultaneous anti-criminality law enforcement operation.
Col. Joel K. Tampis, Bataan police director, made the presentation during the first command visit of Brig. Gen. Valeriano T. De Leon to the province as new Central Luzon police director.
Tampis said that seven of the 134 firearms are loose firearms seized in a buy-bust operation while 127 were with expired licenses and voluntarily surrendered for safekeeping under the Philippine National Police’s “Oplan Katok”.
The program, Tampis said, aims to encourage firearm holders to temporarily surrender their firearms until such time that they can renew their license.
He said that continuous efforts on the conduct of police operations resulted to the arrest of 199 suspects with warrants of arrest, those involved in illegal drugs and illegal gambling and other crimes from Sept. 30 up to Oct. 21, or in his first three weeks in office as Bataan police director.
“These accomplishments are the result of 130 different police operations and interventions steered by the city and municipal police stations of this province,” Tampis said.
In 34 anti-illegal drug operations, 120 sachets of shabu and one large plastic pack of shabu with estimated value of P308,500 were confiscated from 64 drug personalities, he said.
“All these were achieved within 21 days showing how serious and committed Bataan PNP is in delivering its mandated duties and responsibilities,” he noted.
“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we will never let our guard down and we will continue our fight against all forms of criminality to ensure a safe, secure and peaceful Bataan,” Tampis said.
The new RD congratulated the men and women of the Bataan police for their accomplishment and asked them to continue in the war against illegal drugs and other crimes.
Asked on the role of the police during the coronavirus disease pandemic, De Leon said: “Walang tatalo sa pandemic, sa Covid–19. We are all frontliners. Our role is how to manage and implement protocols set by the inter-agency task force.”
“Kapag sinabi ng IATF na enhanced community quarantine, ipapatupad namin ng buong tapang at kortisiya (courtesy). Courtesy because marami sa ating mamamayan ang nagpupumilit sa kanilang gusto na makauwi na kaya dapat magalang ang pulis,” he said.
