PNP says effective gun control to end feudal politics

MANILA, Philippines - The two-month gun amnesty program ended last Monday with the Philippine National Police (PNP) expressing optimism that an effective gun control would end feudal politics, like those of the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus, in the provinces.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said reports from various regions nationwide were being finalized to get the total number of firearms accounted for during the gun amnesty period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30 this year.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the tradition of feudal politics and clan conflict that precipitated the massacre of 57 persons in Maguindanao is an eye opener that highlights the urgency of establishing an effective system of gun control in the country.

Verzosa shared this opinion with members of the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, the country’s highest coordinating body for law enforcement concerns, during the body’s 136th Regular Meeting in Camp Crame, Quezon City yesterday.

“The continued proliferation of loose firearms and the prevailing gun culture in some areas of the country are underlying factors that continue to promote feudal politics and clan conflict,” Verzosa said.

Verzosa said the National Firearms Control Program (NFCP) offers an effective system of firearms control that would put in place strong measures to regulate and control the possession of firearms.

Stronger gun control measures would effectively prevent the possibility of registered firearms being used by criminals and ensure certainty of punishment for violators of firearms laws, he said.

The NFCP’s aim is to obtain a master list or a national firearms database with ballistics records of all firearms possessed by private individuals, legal entities and government agencies to prevent these firearms from being used in crime or falling into the wrong hands.

The national amnesty for registration of loose firearms as provided under Executive Order 817 culminated last Nov. 30 with thousands of delinquent gun holders beating the deadline to register loose firearms and renew expired gun licenses.

Government agencies, including local government units, were given until Dec. 15 to submit their list of inventories of registered government-owned firearms.

The PNP will send out formal notices to all agencies and LGUs that have yet to comply with the NFCP gun accounting requirements.

Verzosa said all unregistered firearms of non-compliant agencies would be confiscated and corresponding charges would be filed against them.

Meanwhile, the PNP reported that the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) by politicians in Maguindanao went on smoothly.

Verzosa said the AFP-PNP Joint Security Coordinating Center (JSCC) established an Advance Command Post in Maguindanao to supervise the implementation of plans, actions and activities in the province.

Quoting Director Felizardo Serapio Jr., PNP Director for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao (DIPO-WestMin), Verzosa said some 200 civilian supporters of the Ampatuan clan picketed in front of the Ampatuan mansion to express their support, but peacefully dispersed after the brief mass action.

Serapio said the 23-man police force of Datu Unsay Municipal Police Station was placed under restrictive custody in connection with the continuing investigation into the Nov 23 massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.   

He added that 13 members of the town police force are now under custody and are to be airlifted to Manila today to undergo further investigation.

The rest of the local police force has remained unaccounted for and they are being hunted by counter-intelligence and internal affairs operatives.

He said all firearms of the 13 PNP personnel had been turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory for forensic examination.

Serapio redeployed a contingent from the 1505th PMG in Lanao del Sur to man the Datu Unsay Municipal Police Station. – Cecille Suerte Felipe