Mindanao businessman surrenders 25 loose firearms to PNP

MANILA, Philippines — A Mindanao-based businessman on Tuesday surrendered 25 guns with expired licenses to the Philippine National Police (PNP), aiming to influence more community leaders to surrender loose firearms in a bid to combat crime.

Businessman Jesus P. Martinez, who also chairs the advisory council for the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), turned over the firearms to Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. in a ceremony in Camp Crame.

The guns Martinez turned over were 12 12-gauge shotguns; four caliber .30 high-performance rifles; four caliber 7.62mm M14 rifles; three caliber .45 submachine guns; a caliber 5.56 M4 rifle; and a 9mm submachine gun.

The businessman also turned over three fragmentation grenades as well as 40 rounds of caliber 7.62 ammunition, 30 rounds of caliber 5.56 ammunition, two magazines for caliber 7.62 rifles, and two magazines for caliber .30 rifles.

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Martinez noted that he surrendered the firearms pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1745, series of 1980, which grants amnesty for simple illegal possession of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.

He explained that he is a gun collector and holds a Type 5 license, which allows him to own 15 or more guns under Republic Act No. 10591, or the Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

“I want to be an example to all advisory groups. The PNP advisory groups have more than 20,000 members. I hope I can convince them to surrender at least one [firearm] each,” Martinez said in Filipino during a press conference after the turnover.

“I know around 40,000 loose firearms from others. Most of them also want to surrender their firearms. They’re just looking for someone who can guide them on how to surrender loose firearms,” he added in Filipino.

According to PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, the guns and bullets Martinez turned over will first undergo ballistics tests under the agency’s Forensic Group to determine whether they were used in any crime.

PNP Firearms and Explosives Office Director Brig. Gen. Ronald Gayo added that if the firearms are cleared during the ballistics examination, they will be assessed to determine whether they are still fit for use by the police force. If not, they will be donated to another agency. /jpv