ILOILO City – Western Visayas cops continue to intensify their campaign to account for loose and unregistered firearms across the region, with the Antique Police Provincial Office (PPO) becoming the second unit to reach a 100% compliance under the Project TALA.
Antique PPO followed Guimaras PPO, which previously accounted for all 718 firearms with expired registration in its jurisdiction.
Under Project TALA (Tracking, Accounting, and LAwful Disposition of Firearms with Expired Registration), Antique PPO completed the accounting of all 1,811 firearms listed in its provincial database, bringing the combined total accounted for by the two PPOs to 2,529 firearms.
Based on the latest consolidated accomplishment report of PRO-6, regional police have so far accounted for 13,537 out of 27,114 recorded firearms with expired registrations – marking a 50 percent overall regional accomplishment.
In Antique, police personnel served notices to 1,447 registered gun owners. However, 35 owners refused to accept the notices, while 329 could no longer be located at their registered addresses.
During validation operations in the province, 538 firearms were deposited or turned over to police custody for safekeeping, while 15 were voluntarily surrendered.
Moreover, 58 firearms have already had their registrations renewed, 193 are currently undergoing renewal processing, 34 were sold to new owners, 230 were reported missing, and seven are under necessary verification.
PRO-6 director Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño praised the Antique and Guimaras PPOs for achieving 100% compliance and emphasized the continuation of the intensified implementation of Project TALA in other police units in the region.
“Ang tagumpay ng Antique at Guimaras PPO ay resulta ng masusing monitoring at pagsisikap ng ating mga police personnel. Inaasahan natin ang parehong determinasyon mula sa iba pang police units upang mas marami pang baril na may expired na rehistro ang matunton at ma-account,” said Tuaño.
PRO-6 continues to encourage gun owners with expired registrations to contact the nearest police station to carry out the corresponding registration renewal, deposit of the gun for safekeeping, or other legal processes in accordance with existing laws and regulations./PN
