Press statement by Twin Pines Inc.

Reacting to online statements by some quarters that would maliciously impute wrongdoing on the part of our company TWIN PINES, INC., we categorically denounce and protest such innuendoes.

At the onset, it should be stressed that all of the 1,004 reportedly missing AK47 rifles were duly licensed and approved for release by the Philippine National Police Firearms & Explosives Office (PNP FEO). Save for a few pieces allegedly recovered in the field, we seriously doubt if the rest of the 1,004 pieces AK47 rifles are really “missing” as reported. Nevertheless, the company has no control over what happens to the rifles after they were turned over to the buyer following the approval given by the PNP FEO.

We would also like to emphasize that our personnel (as are those of other gun dealers) merely act as messengers for our customers – especially those from distant provinces. They are neither the processors nor the approving authorities for gun licenses. They also do not have the power to conduct background investigations to ascertain the truth of the allegations in the documents supplied by our customers for relaying to PNP FEO – much less the authenticity and due execution of these documents.

We are a long established and reputable company in the firearms industry with many branches all over the country. We have built this reputation over a span of 3 decades through hard work and dedication to ensure that the products and services we provide to our customers are always of the highest quality. We will not allow our reputation and good-standing in the industry to be tarnished by entering into any fraudulent or shady transactions.

This matter has been most vexing and injurious to our family, our employees, and our company. But perhaps no one is to blame but the applicant/buyer for any allegedly falsified documents.  Apparently and unfortunately, the licensing process of our authorities was not perfectly fail-safe, as probably no such system ever was in any part of the world. 

We hope none of our thousands of loyal customers whom we have faithfully served over our almost thirty years of unblemished service in the firearms industry will believe any of these baseless and malicious attacks on our integrity.  — Servando U. Topacio, president