Eastern Visayas cops call for gun registration

TACLOBAN CITY—The Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) has called on owners of around 10,000 registered firearms to renew their licenses.

Based on the PRO-8 records, 10,025 firearms have expired licenses in the region, said Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, regional police director.

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

Soria said that while they could monitor the registered firearms with expired permits, they could not easily check those owned by criminals and members of the rebel group.

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

Reports from various police stations in Eastern Visayas, show that another 3,000 loose firearms were in the hands of criminal elements, Soria said.

“We are intensifying our campaign on the proliferation of loose firearms in the region in the light of the forthcoming elections next year,” Soria said.

When used in committing crimes, loose firearms, which are difficult to trace, would make it difficult for police to solve crimes, he added.

Soria said the police would set up checkpoints and apply for search warrants in courts against persons believed to have unlicensed firearms.