Central Visayas tops monthly "Kontra Boga" quota

CEBU, Philippines - Central Visayas topped in the Philippine National Police program called “PNP Kontra Boga”, designed to address the problem of loose firearms in the country.

Police Regional Office-7 director Lani-o Nerez said that PRO-7 precedes the rest of the 12 PROs in the country in complying with the three-percent monthly quota of loose firearms, and even exceeding the quota for the month of August.

Supt. Jacinto Cesar, chief of the Regional Firearms and Explosives Division, said that under the Kontra Boga Program since last July, there are at least 28,860 loose firearms in Central Visayas.

Cesar told The FREEMAN that the figure includes loose firearms from criminal elements, threat groups, and the general population. On the other hand, he said, there are 20,370 enlisted number of non-renewed firearm licenses.

With this, Nerez said that particularly for the month of August, the three-percent quota for loose firearms exceeded, which means that a number of loose firearms, more than the number they target to meet, were confiscated.

Cesar said that these loose firearms were confiscated through checkpoints and search warrants.

Nerez said that the records include those from provincial police offices and all city police offices in the region.

President Gloria Arroyo issued Executive Order 817 or “Providing for the Government’s Intensified Campaign against Loose Firearms,” granting a “final general firearms amnesty” from October 1-31.

Chief Supt. Ireneo Bacolod, head of the PNP Civil Security Group, disclosed that there are P1,110,227 listed loose firearms nationwide.

Bacolod served as the guest of honor and speaker yesterday in line with the inauguration and blessing of the new Firearms, Explosives, Security Agency and Guard Supervisory Section building which he describes as a “one-stop shop” for firearm licensing applicants.

Bacolod also said that through the said program, they target to lessen the 229 election-related cases in next year’s polls. Majority of the number are crimes committed with the use of illegal firearms. — Niña G. Sumacot/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)