ILOILO — The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has recovered 892 unlicensed and homemade firearms across the province in more than a year of intensified anti-loose firearms operations, with police warning that tougher law enforcement measures will now await gun holders who refuse to voluntarily surrender their weapons.
Data from the IPPO showed that from January 2025 up to the present, authorities were able to account for 95 long firearms and 797 short firearms, most of them homemade guns and weapons without valid licenses.
IPPO director Colonel Bayani Razalan said many of the firearms were surrendered through the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) “soft hand approach,” a strategy that relies on persuasion and community engagement to convince owners to voluntarily turn over illegal firearms before authorities resort to arrests and raids.
“We were able to persuade gun holders to surrender their homemade firearms in order to avoid arrest or we have to apply them our iron hand approach,” said Razalan.
The campaign forms part of the PNP’s dual strategy in addressing crimes involving loose firearms and maintaining peace and order.
Under the “soft hand approach,” police conduct peaceful dialogues, voluntary surrender drives, and even door-to-door visits to encourage firearm owners to cooperate with authorities and prevent violence before it escalates.
The strategy includes encouraging owners of unregistered, loose, or expired firearms to surrender their guns to police stations without confrontation.
However, police warned that those who continue to ignore the campaign may soon face the PNP’s “iron hand approach,” which involves stricter law enforcement operations.
Authorities said this includes the serving of search warrants, focused police operations, and the confiscation of illegal firearms from individuals who refuse to voluntarily surrender them.
Meanwhile, the IPPO urged holders of unlicensed, expired, or revoked firearms to immediately turn over their guns to the nearest police station to avoid criminal prosecution under Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
“Surrendering guns prevents owners from being charged with illegal possession which carries stiff penalties. So, sa mga gun holders na hindi pa na-surrender ang kanilang baril, you have to surrender now to the nearest police station para ma avoid ang criminal cases,” Razalan added./PN
