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by Neptalie Batolenio

OROQUIETA CITY:WITH more than a million loose firearms still to be accounted for in the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to implement Executive Order (EO) 817 as ordered by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In Misamis Occidental, the PNP will intensify the campaign against unlicensed firearms, where 97% of crimes committed in the country involved loose guns based on statistics, through the conduct of checkpoint as well as search and seizure operations.

Senior Superintendent Leonilo Cabug, Misamis Occidental provincial director stressed that a final general firearms amnesty is implemented for a period of one month or from October 1 to 31, 2009.

The MOCPPO also hold a province wide motorcade in launching the National Firearms Control Program participated by Non Governmental Organization (NGO’s) and all PNP stations to strengthen their campaign against unlicensed firearms, where the three cities: Ozamiz, Oroquieta and Tangub identified by Cabug for having reported plenty of loose fire arms.

Cabug added that all individual and judicial entities may renew their expired licenses and/or register their unregistered firearms with the PNP at Camp Naranjo, Oroquieta City.

He said that all loose firearms holders, be they with expired licenses and/or unregistered firearms, are encouraged by Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office (MOCPPO) and are given the opportunity to obtain the required firearms’ license through the final general firearms amnesty.

This would reduce the chance of loose firearms being used in election-related crimes which may derail the realization of a peaceful, orderly and credible electoral exercise in 2010, added the MPPO director.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno also iterated his warning to owners of unlicensed firearms that after the one-month gun amnesty period expires on October 31, all guns not properly registered would be confiscated immediately and criminal charges would be filed against the owners in court.

Puno said the PNP will begin processing the applications of late registrants or those with unrenewed licenses in implementing Arroyo’s National Gun Control Program as spelled out under EO 817.

Prior to the October 1-31 amnesty period, Puno said the PNP will already start receiving applications starting August 1 to accommodate those who would like to comply early with the law.

EO 817, which provides for a general amnesty for the registration of loose firearms, tasks the PNP to conduct active police operations against unregistered firearms through random weapons checks in crime-prone areas; mobile checkpoint and chokepoint operations; intelligence build-up; internal security operations; application of search warrants; and dismantling of private armed groups.
The government expects to reduce by at least three percent per month the estimated 1.1 million loose firearms currently in the hands of threat groups, criminal elements and unauthorized individuals. The number of loose firearms also includes guns with expired licenses.

The PNP is targeting to account for about 33,000 loose firearms within the first month of implementation of EO 817.

Puno along with PNP chief Jesus Verzosa and heads of other law enforcement agencies signed last July 23 the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of EO 817.
In various Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) meetings and dialogues with local executives, Puno has called on elective officials to help the DILG and PNP carry out an information campaign on the gun amnesty program.
The DILG chief also assured gun owners that the PNP will accept the registrations of their unlicensed firearms and those with expired licenses during the amnesty period with “no questions asked.”

The PNP is implementing the gun amnesty program months ahead of the campaign period for the 2010 elections so that such an effort will not be misconstrued in any way as a political move on the part of the government.