Iloilo police chief renews call to surrender loose firearms

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) again called on gun owners to turn in unlicensed firearms, including explosives, to authorities.

In a press statement, Colonel Ronaldo Palomo, Iloilo police chief, made the stern warning to “surrender your unlicensed guns or deposit your firearms with expired registration to your Ilonggo Cops or suffer the consequences.”

By consequences, Palomo could be referring to the iron-hand approach or strict law enforcement of Focused-Targeted Police Operation, which tackles the application and implementation of search warrants.

The press statement then cited the arrest of a farmer in an early morning raid at his house in Sitio Acacia, Barangay Bagacay, San Rafael, Iloilo on March 17.

63-year-old Joevy Besueno was arrested after a caliber .45 pistol (serial number 522134), two magazines, and seven live ammunition were recovered during the operation.

Police raided the suspect’s house after several complaints were made by residents in the area.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 records indicated that IPPO conducted seven operations for illegal possession of firearms and explosives from March 13 to 19. It also resulted in the arrest of seven persons.

For the same period, different IPPO units accounted for 25 firearms and 10 explosives that were either surrendered or recovered.

Regionwide, Tokhang Kontra Armas Luthang (TKAL) is PRO-6’s revitalized campaign against criminality, particularly in addressing the proliferation of loose firearms.

TKAL employs two approaches: the soft-hand and the iron-hand approach.

The soft-hand approach or Tokhang Panagbalay is a courteous way of appealing to the community to support and cooperate by surrendering or depositing their firearms with expired licenses pending renewal of firearm license and License to Own and Posses Firearm (LTOPF) or those without valid documents.

The other is the iron-hand approach.

A year ago, the Regional Civil Security Unit 6 (RCSU-6) estimated that 28,794 firearms all over the region have unrenewed licenses.

Based on the baseline data, there are around 43,000 firearm holders all over the region.

A number of firearm holders failed to renew their licenses over the standards and requisites, as mandated under Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

RA 10591 set the qualification for civilian ownership of firearms in the country.

Most of these loose firearms are in Iloilo province with around 6,307.

Not far behind is Negros Occidental with 5,689; Iloilo City with 4,692; Bacolod City with 4,645; Capiz with 3,389; Aklan with 1,774; Antique with 1,748; and Guimaras with 540.

Most of the 28,000 loose firearms have unrenewed papers, while some were either deposited, declared lost, or sold.

Other firearms were surrendered to police authorities. Others denied ownership or are considered fictitious persons.

But a good number of owners have already transferred residence, are deceased, or have uncertain addresses.

Some gun holders are classified custodia legis or “in the custody of the law.”