ILOILO City – Should there be cases of injuries or deaths due to stray bullets this holiday season, these should be solved within 24 hours, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) told police units across Western Visayas. Failure to crack the cases within such period would cost the posts of the police chiefs concerned.
“This one-strike policy on stray bullet incidents caused by indiscriminate firing of guns resulting to death or injury will be strictly implemented,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson.
The policy is contained in the Paskuhan 2019 Operational Guidelines issued by the Philippine National Police on Nov. 22, 2019.
The PRO-6 is wary of the irresponsible practice of gun owners of firing their firearms to celebrate Christmas and welcoming the New Year.
“The police chief would be relieved from his post if the case is not solved within 24 hours,” Malong said.
But of particular concern to the PRO-6 are those keeping illegal guns (not registered or homemade), according to the PRO-6 spokesperson.
Police chiefs must devise ways to convince gun holders not to fire their guns, she stressed.
The PRO-6’s goal is to achieve zero stray bullet incidents this holiday season. Malong said two long-standing programs having this goal are the police campaign against loose firearms and the setting up of checkpoints where cops stop people and check them out.
During the holiday season last year, the PRO-6 recorded no stray bullet incidents. Malong said this was due to the massive campaign against loose firearms and the drive encouraging responsible ownership of guns.
Just last month, the PRO-6 relaunched the “Tokhang Kontra Guinadilian nga Pusil (TKGP)” in Camp Delgado here.
It also revealed that police units across the region were able to confiscate a total of 564 loose firearms in five months from July 1 to Nov. 19.
Lieutenant General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, Philippine National Police’s deputy chief for operations, acknowledged the effort of the PRO-6 in this campaign.
“These are more than 500 (seized loose firearms), an initiative of the PRO-6. Most of them are from law enforcement operations. Some were surrendered by local government units because of the lack of licenses, or by individuals who still have no permit for the said firearms,” Cascolan said.
Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, PRO-6 director, said, “We really need to inform our general public that there is again a need to control the use of firearms and there is such a program for them to reach out and surrender their firearms, especially those who still don’t have complete documents.”
The regional police’ data showed that from July to October 2019, 425 crimes were committed with the use of firearms./PN
