ILOILO – The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) confiscated 511 guns between January and September this year.
According to Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, IPPO director, this was part of their intensified campaign against loose firearms in line with the order of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Eleazar.
Sixty-two guns were confiscated through the implementation of search warrants and from crime incidents, 359 were voluntarily surrendered and 90 were deposited by their owners, subject for renewal of registration.
Gorero said the number of accounted loose guns was lower this year compared to the 614 collected in the same period last year.
A factor to the decrease, according to Gorero, was the License to Own and Possess Firearm (LTOPF) caravan held in collaboration with the Police Regional Office 6’s Civil Security Unit, wherein gun holders were told to secure LTOPF.
IPPO was also impressed by the number of surrendered loose firearms this year.
“We have received 359 this year against the 298 last year. It means gun holders are now more responsible kay kung indi nila pag–e-renew, we have to conduct operations against them,” said Gorero.
Gorero is optimistic IPPO could deliver more in the campaign against loose guns, especially ahead of the May 2022 elections./PN
