By Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office led the turnover of 230 unlicensed firearms to the Police Regional Office-6 (Western Visayas) in a ceremony held at the Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. here on Monday.
The guns included 205 with expired licenses handed over by Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the mayors of 16 local government units (LGUs), and 25 others from former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels turned over by Col. Romeo Baleros, police provincial director.
Policed Brig. Gen. John Bulalacao of PRO-6, who received the firearms, lauded the move of local officials to surrender the unregistered firearms.
“Your action is indeed a manifestation of your sincerity to help us achieve a peaceful mid-term election this coming May,” he said.
Bulalacao added that since the PRO-6 launched the “Tokhang Kontra Guinadili-an nga Pusil” campaign last July, they have rounded up 9,104 firearms with expired licenses and confiscated 563 others in various police operations.
In Negros Occidental, the 205 unlicensed firearms were from the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, La Carlota, Sagay, San Carlos, Talisay, and the municipalities of Calatrava, E.B. Magalona, Isabela, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Pontevedra, and Toboso.
Bulalacao said these firearms were previously purchased by the LGUs for their civil security units.
“These are formerly licensed firearms, but have been classified as unlicensed because they failed to re-register. It will be returned to them once they can show to us the renewed licenses,” he added.
The 25 high-powered firearms were turned over by the NPA surrenderers to the military and police authorities in Sagay City last March 2.
Monday’s turn-over ceremony was also witnessed by Provincial Elections Supervisor Salud Villanueva and Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine’s Army 303rd Infantry Brigade.
