UNDOCUMENTED GUNS. Barangay officials of Glan town, Sarangani province turn over to police authorities on Friday (Dec. 6, 2019) at least 172 “undocumented” high-powered firearms (in photo) that were previously issued by the government. Former and current officials of the town’s 31 barangays decided to give up the firearms in the wake of the government’s crackdown against loose firearms. (Photo courtesy of the Glan municipal government)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Village officials in Glan, Sarangani province turned over to police authorities on Friday at least 172 “undocumented” high-powered firearms that either lacked pertinent documents or whose licenses have expired.
Lt. Col. Neil Wadingan, chief of the Glan municipal police, said former and current officials of the town’s 31 barangays decided to give up the firearms in the wake of the government’s continuing crackdown against loose firearms.
Wadingan said most of them were issued by the government to barangay officials and watchmen in the 1970s and 1980s to assist law enforcement authorities in maintaining peace and order.
Some of the firearms, he said, were issued by the municipal government to the barangays in recent years to assist local security operations.
“We will take custody of these firearms pending the issuance of a directive from our higher headquarters about them,” Wadingan told reporters.
Mayor Vivien Yap said the local government has backed the decision of the barangays to relinquish the firearms to ensure that they do not become targets of law enforcement operations.
A former councilor of Barangay Congan and four other members of the defunct Civilian Home Defense Force were arrested in separate raids last October 18 for reported possession of illegal firearms.
The five said the recovered firearms were all issued by the government.
The operation was conducted by elements of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation - Sarangani District Office.
Yap said they would push for the proper documentation and issuance of necessary permits and licenses for the firearms.
“We want to ensure the legality of the firearms that will be used by our barangay officials,” she said during the turnover ceremony.
Col. Lex Ephraim Gurat, Sarangani provincial director, said they would assist the local government in processing the documents of the firearms.
“We will process these so they can be used legally by our barangays in maintaining peace and order in their areas,” he said. (PNA)
