Metro cops to tape gun muzzles for New Year

MANILA, Philippines - All police officers of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will simultaneously tape the muzzles of their service firearms on Dec. 29 to prevent them from firing their guns indiscriminately during the New Year revelry, NCRPO chief Director Leonardo Espina said yesterday.

Espina will lead the ceremonial taping of gun muzzles of policemen assigned at the regional headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City while the others would do it in the five police districts and 38 police stations in Metro Manila.

The taping of gun muzzles was implemented years ago to prevent police officers from firing their guns in order to curb stray bullet injuries and deaths during the New Year revelry.

Espina said he would not hesitate to dismiss from the police service those found firing their guns during the revelry.

“Once the tape of their service firearms are destroyed it means that they fired them so they are liable for severe punishment, including dismissal from the police service,” Espina said as he pointed out that police officers using their own guns during the revelry are not exempted from the ban.

“We urge the public to take video footage of policemen firing their guns indiscriminately during the revelry so we have the evidence to impose severe sanctions against them,” he said.

However, Espina clarified policemen firing their guns while running after criminals are exempt from punishment.

He said he will personally inspect the gun muzzles of police officers after the New Year revelry to determine whether they have been used or not.