HOLDERS of unregistered firearms have only up
to this Friday, Nov. 14 to apply for the licensing in Camp Crame
and in the different police regional offices nationwide before
the 12-month amnesty period lapses.
PNP chief Jesus Verzosa said an estimated
115,600 guns have yet to be registered with the PNP Civil
Security Group’s Firearms and Explosives Division or any of its
regional field offices nationwide.
Earlier, Verzoza alerted all regional
directors and directors of the national support units to draw up
their own campaign plans for the impending crackdown on loose
firearms that will begin on Nov. 14. "We will just do what needs
to be done, and that is to apply the full might of the law on
persons who are in possession of illegal guns," Verzosa said.
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao has
the most number of unregistered guns at an estimated 35,000,
followed by Metro Manila with 20,700; Western Mindanao with
9,100; Eastern Visayas, 7,100; NortDFAhern Mindanao, 6,500;
Western Visayas, 6,300, and some more in the rest of the
country.
PNP records showed that almost all guns used
in crimes are unlicensed, and a ratio of one licensed gun for
every 1,000 used in crimes.
Since November last year when the current
amnesty period took effect, only 11,700 individuals and
juridical entities have so far turned in their unregistered guns
for licensing.
"This is probably the last time that the PNP
is recommending the granting of amnesty as a stop-gap measure to
control the proliferation of loose firearms," Verzosa said,
adding that the government has actually granted amnesty for
unregistered guns six or seven times already since 1986.
"Aside from the possibility that a gun
amnesty may actually induce smuggling of firearms into the
country, our experience over the past 22 years that we have been
waging a campaign against loose firearms tells us that granting
amnesty provides only a band-aid solution to the problem," he
said.
PNP-FED records showed that there are currently 1,103,616
licensed guns but almost half of these licenses have expired.
Chief Supt. Ireneo Bacolod, Civil Security Group director, said
several licensed gun holders have been delinquent in renewing
their licenses every two years and they could be liable for
administrative penalties. – Raymond Africa
