(MAKE MY DAY. PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde channels Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry with two “most powerful handguns in the world” which are among the hundreds of loose firearms the Central Luzon police collected. Photo grab from the FB account of Jess Malabanan)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO 3) was recognized for its high recovery rating of loose and unrenewed firearms.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde commended PRO 3 recently for seizing nearly 600 firearms in Central Luzon since the start of the election gun ban last January 13.
“I can only say that the effort of PRO 3 is highly commendable, though in other regions they are also doing the same. If you remember, just last Monday, we also presented several firearms that were surrendered to PRO Calabarzon. I think all regions are reacting positively to this directive,” Albayalde said.
Among the seized firearms were 148 pistols, 277 revolvers, 25 rifles, 16 shotguns, 85 other firearms such as sumpak, improvised gun, homemade, and paltik, and 23 that were considered as replicas.
Nueva Ecija has the most number of confiscated firearms with 207 followed by Bulacan with 111, Pampanga 95, Tarlac 58, Bataan 38, Zambales 32, Angeles City 23, Olongapo City 7, and Aurora 3.
Albayalde added that this is part of the preparations for the upcoming elections, which is reduction of risk factors including the proliferation of loose firearms, firearms possessed by unscrupulous persons, and the campaign against private armed groups and guns for hire.
He also urged those who have yet to surrender their firearms to do it pending their application for license to operate and possess (LTOP) or renewal of their firearms.
“The government is serious in its campaign against loose firearms. In fact, we have the Oplan Katok for people with expired firearms licenses or no LTOP. It’s the only way that we can achieve peace especially during the elections by recovering these loose firearms from these suspected private armed groups, gun for hire and other criminal elements,” he said.
Aside from firearms, PRO 3 was also able to confiscate bladed weapons, grenades, other explosives and ammunitions.
