BACOLOD City – One hundred forty-four unregistered firearms were turned over to the Bacolod City Police Office from July 23 to Aug. 15.
Fifty-four of them were “high-powered” while 90 were “low-powered,” BCPO head Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo told a news conference on Thursday.
The BCPO will hold on to 36 of these firearms safekeeping. Their owners were no longer interested in renewing their registration.
Owners of the rest – 108 – were still in the process of renewing their gun registration and license to own and possess.
The BCPO released the figures as it participates in the Police Regional Office 6’s campaign against loose firearms – dubbed “Tokhang Kontra Ginadili-an nga Pusil” – launched on July 23.
Some of the gun owners who deposited their weapons to the BCPO did not register with the local police but were either living or working in the city, said Ebreo.
The owners may claim their firearms when they have renewed their gun registration and license to own and possess, he said.
The BCPO will facilitate the donation of the unclaimed firearms to the government.
These may be used by police units and other law enforcement agencies that need more firearms, Ebreo said.
In Bacolod there are 11,234 registered firearms – 9,346 owned by individuals and 1,798 by juridical entities, including security agencies – police records showed.
The PRO-6’s campaign against loose firearms involves information dissemination during house-to-house visits or in areas of convergence.
In Iloilo City on Monday, regional police director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao appealed to gun owners to surrender their weapons to the police if unlicensed.
“Criminal elements and unscrupulous individuals use loose firearms in perpetrating crimes,” he said. (With a report from PNA/PN)
