Cops to make house calls on gun owners

They’re gonna knock on your door, ring on your bell.

Gun owners who failed to renew their firearm licenses should expect a visit from policemen in the coming days as the Philippine National Police (PNP) has started its house-to-house campaign against loose firearms.

Led by Director Lina Sarmiento, chief of the PNP police community relations division, a police team from Camp Crame went to Cavite on Monday to remind individuals with expired gun licenses to apply for new permits.

A total of 85 firearms, including 20 assault rifles, were “surrendered” by their owners to the local police, according to Sarmiento.

“I appeal to all delinquent gun owners, especially to those whose gun licenses have not been renewed for more than two years, to have their firearms registered,” she said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.

“This is actually the first time the PNP will be knocking on the door of delinquent gun owners. We have to do this as part of our mandate to ensure a peaceful and credible election next year,” she said.

“We hope that by doing this, gun owners will be encouraged or even compelled to have the licenses of their firearms renewed.”

Cavite, Sarmiento said, was one of the 15 provinces the PNP and the Commission on Elections identified as election hotspots.

Chief Supt. Noel de los Reyes, deputy chief of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, said that at least 16 private armed groups were reported to be operating in Cavite where intense rivalries between political clans had resulted in violent incidents in the past.

Police are expecting tensions to rise in the province as Cavite Rep. Erineo Maliksi was poised to retake his old seat from his erstwhile political ally, Gov. Jonvic Remulla.

Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, head of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office, said the owners of 552,380 firearms had failed to renew the permits to own and carry guns.

“The police will seize the guns with expired licenses from their owners. But we will issue receipts to them which they will present to us once they have secured their new gun permits,” Petrasanta said.

He said gun holders may renew their firearm permits until Dec. 31.

“After that deadline, we will carry out police operations to recover the unlicensed firearms and file the appropriate cases against the delinquent gun owners,” Petrasanta said.