Number of loose guns in Region 7 'alarming'

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine National Police is intensifying its campaign against loose firearms in Central Visayas and described the situation in the region as “alarming.”

Supt. Rex Derilo, chief of the Firearms and Explosive Division (FED) of Police Regional Office (PRO)7, is urging gun owners to renew the registration of the firearms before the year ends.

Derilo said there has been an “alarming rise” in the number of loose firearms since January 2011.

PRO-7 Deputy for Operations Sr. Supt. Louie Oppus said he already sent city and provincial directors a list of gun owners with expired licenses. He said the police should visit and remind the gun owners personally of the need to renew their licenses. The police must also do so in proper uniform.

“The purpose of this is to talk and advice them (gun owners) on the proper procedures,” Oppus said.

Oppus said they hope to visit at least 50 percent of those in the list by month’s end. Failure to follow his orders, he said, will tantamount to sanctions or even dismissal on the part of the cops.

“I will not hesitate to relieve them from their post…we have not seen the seriousness of our line commanders,” Oppus added.

Based on FEDs January 2011 records, there were 61,792 licensed firearms in Region 7. Of this number, 21,309 have licenses that were not renewed.

By October, figures suddenly skyrocketed to 66,629 registered firearms with 20,898 licenses not renewed.

This goes to show, Derilo said, that there are previously licensed firearms which are now, technically, considered loose.

In the entire region, only the Province of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu City showed a positive increase in the renewal of expired firearms.

Bohol, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Cebu City and Mandaue City, on the other hand, had decreases in their renewal of licenses, said Derilo.

He said that in an annual average, loose firearms recovered through the enforcement of the law (confiscation, capture, recovery, surrender and deposited) are very low compared to the number of unlicensed firearms in the region.

Annually, the police can recover at least 2,000 loose firearms. This means that most of the firearms “in region are mostly those from legitimate or registered firearms holders” who simply failed to renew.

Derilo said gun owners have no reason not to renew their licenses, considering that the process is not exactly difficult.

Previously, he said, license applications were tediously sent to their central office for approval, but now, gun holders can easily apply and receive their license faster and easier in their regional FED.

However, FED provides guidelines which impose strict penalties for those who fail to renew their firearms.

For expired license, gun owners are obliged to turn their firearms over to the nearest police station to avoid legal action. During the turn-over, an undertaking in favor of the government will be executed. (FREEMAN)