PRO 7 to help Rama recall guns

CEBU, Philippines - The top official of the Police Regional Office (PRO) - 7 is ready to assist the Cebu City Government in recalling the service firearms previously issued to some of his policemen.

PRO-7 Director Ager Ontog assured that the Philippine National Police will issue firearms to policemen who will have nothing to use after returning their guns to City Hall.

The City Hall had issued a demand letter asking police officials who got service firearms from the Cebu City Government but have been reassigned elsewhere to return the items issued to them.

Ontog told reporters yesterday that the PRO-7 will help Mayor Michael Rama’s office in retrieving the guns from police officials, about 20 of them as earlier reported, who are now working outside Cebu City.

The PRO-7 director said it is normal for the City Government to recall the firearms for an accounting of the government property.

Ontog added that the PNP will immediately issue firearms to the concerned policemen as soon as their guns are returned to the City Hall so that they can continue with their duties and responsibilities.

Cebu City Police Office director Melvin Ramon Buenafe has also instructed his supply officer to assist the government in returning the guns, acknowledging that these weapons are properties of the City Hall.

“I think nag-accounting ra man si Mayor sa mga firearms, dili jud ingon nga bawi. Even kami diri sa CCPO, naa mi showdown inspection periodically. Naa man gud uban nga i-prenda ang armas,” Buenafe said. (It’s normal for the mayor to do an accounting of the City Government properties. Even the CCPO does that, as some policemen have pawned their guns.)

Buenafe said they are coordinating with the PRO-7 to get the firearms from those who are no longer assigned under CCPO.

He could not give the number of police officers and officials in CCPO who received guns from City Hall as most of them made the transaction directly with the Cebu City Government and thus were not recorded at their headquarters.

The CCPO director said policemen who would not heed the City Hall’s demand could be liable for malversation of government property.

Mayor Rama issued a memorandum last December to all policemen concerned to return their guns to the General Services Office (GSO).

The City Hall will send a final demand letter to the police officers within this week and will file a complaint before the Ombudsman-Visayas against them if they continue to ignore the demand letter. — (FREEMAN)