PNP wants gun amnesty for 4 months starting July

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is pushing for the implementation of a gun amnesty for four months starting July to minimize election-related violent incidents brought about by the proliferation of loose firearms during the 2010 elections.

PNP Civil Security Group (CSG) director Chief Superintendent Ireno Bacolod told The STAR that PNP chief Director Gene­ral Jesus Verzosa submitted to President Arroyo the proposal for gun amnesty to be implemented from July to October this year.

Bacolod said the PNP leadership is waiting for the response of Mrs. Arroyo because a nationwide gun amnesty needs the approval of the Chief Executive.

“We are hoping to get the approval of President Arroyo for the last gun amnesty to be enforced for four months from July to end of October,” said Bacolod.

He explained that the police will intensify the campaign against loose firearms and guns with expired licenses after the amnesty program has been implemented.

Verzosa said there were over 500,000 firearms of different caliber with expired licenses but were previously registered with the PNP Firearms and Explosives Division (FED).

The PNP estimates that there are 1.1 million loose firearms in the country and more than half of the figure represent firearms with expired licenses that were not renewed by the owner, while the rest are in the hands of threat groups, criminal elements and the general population.

The STAR learned from officials of the CSG that the FED has almost completed the encoding into computers of all records of guns.

“We can now get all information about certain gun holders by just getting a gun’s serial number and checking it with our database,” said a CSG official.

“We have a case wherein a person was trying to renew the licenses of his two firearms, but records indicated that he had a third gun, which had an expired license since 1999. It turned out that particular firearm was stolen from the owner 10 years ago,” the official said.

The CSG official said the owner of the lost gun should report it to the nearest police station and issue an affidavit, which he or she can use as defense if the firearm was used in committing a crime.

Verzosa said the PNP would ask Congress to come up with measures that would call for imprisonment of firearms holders who are delinquent in renewing their licenses as part of the effort to account for all guns with expired licenses.

The PNP chief said the PNP has already submitted its proposal to the National Police Commission (Napolcom) their study on a measure that pushes for imprisonment of firearms holders who are delinquent in renewing their licenses.

Under the proposal, Verzosa said firearms with over six months of expired license will be considered as loose firearm and the registered owner might face six months imprisonment.

The PNP chief noted that the proposal needs legislation, and the PNP in coordination with the Napolcom will work closely with the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Verzosa said gun holders with expired licenses ignore their responsibility, knowing they will just pay a certain amount as penalty for expired firearm licenses.

Verzosa earlier announced hat the PNP is working on guidelines to support their plans of requesting the local government units and local police to conduct house-to-house inspection to remind gun holders to renew the expired firearm licenses.