Police urge gun owners to renew expired licenses

TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine National Police’s regional office in Eastern Visayas is calling on the owners of more than 10,000 registered firearms to renew their licenses.

Police records show that 10,025 firearms have expired licenses in the region, said Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, the regional police director.

The owners of firearms with expired licenses have until Dec. 31, 2012 to renew their permits, Soria said on Friday.

Soria said that while they could monitor registered firearms with expired permits, the police could not monitor firearms in the hand of criminals and New People’s Army rebels.

An estimated 558 unlicensed or loose firearms were in the possession of the New People’s Army in Eastern Visayas based on a report from the Philippine Army, he said.

According to reports from various police stations in Eastern Visayas, another 3,000 loose firearms were in the hands of criminal elements, Soria said.  /INQUIRER