85 loose firearms seized in San Juan

Authorities scan loose firearms at San Juan City Hall. Photo from Mayor Francis Zamora Facebook live.

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities confiscated 85 loose firearms in San Juan since their house-to-house program began in January this year, City Mayor Francis Zamora said Thursday.

“Eighty-five loose firearms po ang kanilang [law enforcers] nakalap. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng Oplan Katok kung saan kinakatukan nila yung bahay kung saan base sa listahan ng Firearms and Explosive Division ay may mga baril na hindi pa na-renew,” Zamora said during the presentation of seized loose firearms at San Juan City Hall.

(85 loose firearms were seized. This is through the Oplan Katok program wherein they would go to houses of those who failed to renew their license of firearms based on the list of Firearms and Explosive Division.)

Of the number, nine are rifles, nine are shotguns, 19 are revolvers, and 48 are pistols.

“Oplan Katok” is the campaign of Philippine National Police wherein police officers would visit the homes of firearm owners who failed to renew permits and licenses of their guns.

The San Juan mayor, meanwhile, appealed to firearm holders to renew the license of their guns since lockdown restrictions are already less strict.

“Walang dahilan na sabihin na walang oras, na busy dahil sa pandemic. Kung gusto natin gawin, kaya naman. Hindi na kasing higpit ang quarantine status natin, hindi dapat gawing dahilan na may pandemic sapagka’t bukas naman ang Camp Crame,” Zamora said.

(There is no reason to say that they have no time, or that they are busy due to the pandemic. If you want to do it, you can. Our quarantine status is not anymore strict, we should not use the pandemic as a reason because Camp Crame is open for renewal of license.)

EDV