Guns missing from PNP storage facilities?

MANILA, Philippines - Even before some 900 missing rifles could be accounted for, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is reportedly trying to find firearms that disappeared from the storage facilities of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) at Camp Crame.

A source said PNP personnel manning the FEO storage facility requested personnel from the Crime Laboratory to help document the firearms that are still in storage at the FEO.

The Crime Laboratory personnel will check the firearms’ serial numbers with FEO records.

A senior police officer at the FEO’s investigation division confirmed that there is an ongoing investigation but refused to divulge more information.

“The release of information is still on hold. The personnel from storage have just made a report,” the officer told The STAR.

Another FEO officer, however, said no firearms are missing from the storage facilities. “The investigation was meant to put order in the disposal and releasing of firearms kept in the storage facilities,” the officer said.

Connections

Under FEO regulations, firearms imported by gun dealers are kept in the FEO storage facilities and could only be released after the gun dealer submits all the required documents.

However, some gun dealers have reportedly used their connection to ranking police officials, who would call storage facility personnel and order them to immediately release the guns.

“There was an instance when a gun dealer managed to get 37 short firearms from storage without passing through the proper process,” the source said.

In January, President Aquino ordered PNP officials investigated for their role in the disappearance of 900 AK-47 and M-16 rifles.

According to previous reports, Twin Pines Inc., a licensed importer of firearms, gun parts, ammunition and shooting accessories, sold the AK-47 and M-16 Armalite rifles to JTC Mineral Mining Corp., which operates in the Caraga region.

The weapons supposedly were to be used by the mining firm’s security forces tasked to defend its interests against the New People’s Army rebels and other criminals in the region.

However, police officers tasked to conduct a nationwide gun check discovered last year that the weapons were missing from JTC’s inventory.

Initially, police officials claimed that the purchase of the high-powered firearms was “aboveboard” and passed all the requirements.

Aquino, however, got wind of the alleged anomaly and ordered PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima to conduct a deeper investigation.