CEBU, Philippines - A man reportedly sneaked in front of the Punta Princesa Police Station around 1 a.m. yesterday and left a hand grenade and a frontier pistol.
After the incident, the man, who allegedly identified himself as “Asa Masa,” called up the police station informing he left the weapons there as he is surrendering them to the government.
The caller told SPO2 Jaime Del Mar, the duty desk officer, the specific area where he left the weapons. After that, Del Mar went outside and confirmed that the weapons were indeed left at the firearm drop box.
“Nagtuo ko nga komedya ra pero pag-tan-aw nako naa gyud armas giputos sa plastic bag. Siguro gitiming niya nga busy kaayo mi dinhi ug wa gyud mi makabantay kinsay nagbutang” Del Mar said.
The hand grenade was already taped to make sure its pin will not be easily pulled out when found together with the 556 homemade revolver frontier with four live armalite ammunitions.
The police believe that the unidentified man heeded the “Last and Final Amnesty Program” of the Philippine National Police which was formally launched last October 1 and will culminate on 31.
Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of Cebu City Police Office, informed he also received reports from other police stations that loose firearms were also dropped into their corresponding drop boxes.
With this, Comendador said the information dissemination on the PNP’s amnesty program conducted by his men is really a great help in encouraging the public to surrender their loose firearms.
The CCPO’s drive against unregistered guns goes to barangay level starting yesterday with the use of two mobile depository buses to encourage owners of loose firearms to deposit them. The mobile buses were first dispatched in Barangays Tisa and Hipodromo.
Aside from the mobile depository vehicles, firearms drop boxes are also placed in front of the eleven police stations in the city where the public can surrender their weapons.
Comendador said that owners of unregistered guns who wanted to deposit their weapons have nothing to fear or worry because they will not be questioned as to where or how they were able to possess them.
“Amo awhag sa katawhan na mu-avail sa ato amnesty program. Dili na mi mu-question if gi-unsa pagkahupot sa armas basta ma-turn over lang nila. Dili sila angay maguol or mahadlok kay dili man sila dakpon,” Comendador pointed out.
The city police director informed that they were able to obtain 90 unregistered guns from January to September out of the estimated 3,000 unregistered guns in the city.
“We have to be optimistic that before October 31, all owners of unregistered guns will already deposit their weapons,” Comendador said. – Niña G. Sumacot and Ramil V. Ayuman/WAB (FREEMAN NEWS)