PNP-12 campaign vs. loose guns nets 399 rifles

GEN. SANTOS
CITY – Police authorities in Sultan Kudart province have collected almost 400
loose firearms as the police intensified disarmament campaign in the
SOCCSKSARGEN region, Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales today said.

The guns
were officially accepted by Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, PRO-12 regional
director in ceremonies held at Camp Amado Dumlao Sr, headquarters of PNP-Sultan
Kudarat.

It included
firearms categorized as High-Powered Firearms (HPFA’s) and Low Powered Firearms
(LPFA’s).

Chief
Inspector Aldrin Gonzales, spokesperson of PRO-12, said the firearms were from
five municipalities who helped in the campaign and themselves turned in their
unlicensed guns in support to the government’s campign in Mindanao.

Gonzales
said Columbio turned-over Eight (8) LPFAs all expired licenses Esperanza with
25 (Four (4) HPFAs and 21 HPFAs) Isulan with 20 LPFAs all expired licenses
Lambayong with 129 HPFAs President Quirino with 56 (51 HPFAs and 5 LPFAs) and
Tacurong City with 161 LPFAs.

The Sultan
Kudarat Police Provincial Office (SKPPO) serves as the repository of all
accounted firearms. It will also apply for the renewal of expired FA’s licenses
and will facilitate the acquisition of License-To-Own-Firearms (LTOF) for legitimate
gun holders.

PRO12 will
do the accounting report which will be submitted to the Higher Headquarters,
and we will issue receipt or certification to Local Chief Executives of
municipalities as a guarantee that their FA’s are still under our care, Morales
said.

It is
clarified that the surrender of FA’s is not made in a single time but by
batches, and on the issue whether or not it hampers the progress of peace and order
in certain municipality because they have their FA’s surrendered to us and the
possibility that anytime they will be attacked by enemies is not tantamount to say
we are not performing our duties and responsibilities, Morales said.

In fact
the level of threats is decreasing due to our tightened security and target
hardening measures, the police regional director said.

The
coordination between PNP and the community has improved and as part of our
preparedness for any eventualities, we are taking as a ‘lesson learned’ what
happened in Marawi City, he said, adding he required all PNP units in the
region to conduct drills to address issue on peace and order.

Gonzales
said PRO-12 has been intensifying the Oplan Katok as part of law enforcement
operation against loose FA’s where police officers visit houses of residents
with expired gun licenses and those suspected to have unlicensed guns.

He said the
local officials of Sultan Kudarat have shared their time and efforts in helping
the PNP-12 implement the program of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Sultan
Kudarat provincial law maker, Hon. Joseph Toto Ortiz, a member of Sanguniang
Panlalawigan, said the PNP played major roles in helping local executives and
other local officials reach out to far flung communities to bring development
and improve peoples’ lives.

Ortiz lamented
that the presence of loose firearms would destroy relationship. As much as
possible, we must avoid the loss of life, because in every bullet fired will
always destroy relationship, he said.

A bullet
has its effect on the basic unit of society, that is, when a family loses a
member or a bread winner, second is the education of children, and third is the
family’s livelihood, Ortiz explained. So better surrender those firearms to
the government, he told owners of loose firearms.

Morales lauded
Sultan Kudarat executives, led by provincial Gov. Pax S Mangudadatu, and his
son Rep. Suharto Teng Mangudadatu for their invaluable support to PRO12
campaign against all types of criminality in Region 12.
Gonzales
said the highest number of FA’s owned by LGU’s in SK Province surrendered to
the police was a first in PRO-12 which covers the provinces of South Cotabato,
Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of Cotabato,
Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and Gen. Santos. (PO1 Allan Navarro-RPIO 12 PNCO).