PNP plans to allow cops to use own firearms

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is encouraging policemen to buy their own guns instead of waiting for the issuance of their service firearms.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the firearm shortage made it imperative to allow policemen to buy their own service firearms.

“There is a shortage of firearms but we are still continuing with our procurement. We have an additional 10,000 guns each year but some of them need to be repaired or had been lost,” he said.

Verzosa admitted at the recent Meet the Press forum at the National Press Club that the PNP is suffering from a shortage of firearms.

He said the PNP is drafting the proposal to allow policemen to license and use their own guns since many newly recruited police officers have yet to be issued their service pistols.

As of last March, the PNP said it was short of 118,128 long and short firearms due to budget constraints. The PNP mainly issues 9-mm Beretta automatics to its uniformed personnel.

As of last March, the PNP had 73,758 service pistols in the hands of its personnel nationwide.

The PNP also has 58,114 long firearms, including 12-gauge shotguns, and M-16 and M-14 assault rifles. It said it is short of 66,886 long firearms.

Chief Superintendent Ireneo Bacolod, PNP-Civil Security Group (CSG) director, said the ongoing recovery of loose firearms by the PNP could help supply the national police with much-needed guns.

Bacolod explained that under the United Nations Program of Action and Small Arms and Light Weapons, to which the Philippines is a signatory, security forces could use firearms seized during police operations.

The PNP earlier had announced an all-out drive to seize loose firearms at the end of the gun amnesty program on Oct. 31.

As of last May, the PNP estimates that there were 1.1 million loose firearms in the country.

The PNP is also hoping that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will approve its proposal to impose a total gun ban during the 2010 election period.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina cited the experience of the national police in the two previous national elections of mistaken encounters between policemen and the security escorts of politicians.

Espina said the encounters happened simply because the security escorts were in civilian clothes and were armed with high-powered guns.

“We will prevent these if the Comelec will consider the proposal,” Espina told the same forum.

The PNP is proposing to limit to two the number of armed security escorts per politician.

Verzosa earlier had explained the number of security personnel could be increased depending on the degree of threats against a candidate or politician.

He said the PNP would ask the Comelec to refrain from issuing too many gun ban exemptions during the election period.

Verzosa has tasked Bacolod to design the uniform for all security personnel assigned to politicians and VIPs during the election period.

He said private security agents should be registered in the CSG’s master list.