ILOILO City – Police destroyed 43 pieces of rifle grenades and mortars on Saturday at a camp in Barangay Guadalupe, Janiuay, Iloilo.
These weapons were collected by the Iloilo City Police Office through its “May Kwarta sa Granada” program.
Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of the Police Regional Office 6, and the ICPO bomb squad led the destruction of the weapons at the camp of the 602nd Mobile Force Company.
“This project contributed a lot to our peace and order and is a big help in reducing crime incidents in Iloilo City,” said Bulalacao.
The police official warned of the danger these weapons pose, especially when they get in the hands of criminals.
Under the program launched in December 2017, those who will surrender explosives to the ICPO will get P1,000 for every explosive.
The ICPO gave cash in exchange for 35 of the 43 explosives recently destroyed.
“I encourage those still keeping grenades to surrender them to the police,” Bulalacao said, warning that criminal charges may be slapped against those illegally in possession of explosives.
Republic Act 9516, signed in 2008, imposes stiffer penalties for illegal possession of explosives.
The law imposes the penalty of reclusion perpetua or 30 years imprisonment for the manufacture, sale, acquisition, disposition, importation, or possession of an explosive or incendiary device.
Likewise, it imposes stiffer penalties for the illegal manufacture, sale, acquisition, disposition, importation or possession of a part, ingredient, machinery, tool or instrument used or intended to be used for explosives.
The law also mandates that mere possession of any explosive or incendiary device shall be prima facie evidence that the person had knowledge of the existence and the explosive or incendiary character of the device.
The mere possession of any part, ingredient, machinery, tool or instrument directly used in the manufacture, construction, assembly, delivery or detonation of any explosive or incendiary device is also punishable under the law.
The ICPO has set safe turnover procedures that must be strictly followed. These are:
* Grenade holder must inform the barangay officials concerned of his intention to surrender the explosive.
* Barangay officials would in turn alert the city police.
* Personnel of the police’s Explosives and Ordnance Division would seek out the grenade holder and secure the explosive./PN
