PNP to step up gun ban campaign for SK, barangay polls

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Philippine National Police Director General  Alan Purisima directed the police forces in the country to step up the implementation  of the gun ban  in preparation for the forthcoming barangay and Sangguanian Kabataan elections.

Purisima personally visited this city and met with the top ground police and military commanders, including the Philippine Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies during the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (RLECC) to renew their campaign  to eliminate illegal possession of firearms.

“The purpose of my visit in PRO9 (Police Regional Officer) is to meet the law enforcers because right now we need to enforce the law again particularly the firearms since the elections will be coming soon,” the PNP chief said.

The Barangay and SK polls have been scheduled on October 28 and authorities are anticipating the elections to be hotly-contested.

Purisima said the campaign this time, unlike during  the national elections last May, will be intensified citing that they have already  revised procedures of the new law against illegal possession of firearms.

“Ang ginagawa namin sa nakaraang eleksyon ay uulitin namin ngayon like for example the ‘Oplan katok’,” Purisima said where authorities will personally visit all those who have registered but have not been renewed licensed or permit to carry firearms.

He said the revised procedures on the possession and permit to carry firearms will be implemented after they have submitted the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and gun amnesty.

Purisima said in the previous campaign,  they have netted hundreds of unregistered and unlicensed firearms while cases have been filed against the violators.

He added that while they have no statistics on the current number of loose firearms in the entire country, previous records showed that there are still more than 600,000 loose firearms proliferating in the whole nation.

"We will trace these firearms again. And this time kasama ang filing ng search warrants against these perpetrators,” Purisima said. - Roel Pareño