CAMPAIGN VS. LOOSE FIREARMS. The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) will conduct a door-to-door campaign as it intensifies its campaign against loose firearms this 2020. APPO Deputy Director for Operations, Lt. Col. Norby Escobar said on Tuesday (Jan. 7, 2020) that 182 firearms were surrendered to the police in 2019, reducing crime incidents. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique -- The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) will again hold a door-to-door campaign this January to boost its campaign against loose firearms this 2020.
In a press conference on Tuesday, APPO Deputy Director for Operations, Lt. Col. Norby Escobar said a total of 182 firearms without licenses and with expired licenses were surrendered to various municipal police stations in the province because of their campaign in 2019.
Escobar said of the 182 firearms, 119 were surrendered loose firearms or had no licenses, while 63 firearms had expired License to Own or Possess Firearms.
“Owners of the firearms with expired licenses are being encouraged to have them deposited first at the police stations pending the release of their license renewal,” he said.
With the revitalized campaign, police personnel will again visit the homes of gun-owners who have expired gun licenses, otherwise they will be meted out an administrative penalty.
Escobar said as part of their intensified campaign this year, every police station in the 18 municipalities of the province would be required to have a weekly accomplishment report on surrendered firearms.
“If the gun-owners will not surrender their firearms, then the police will be forced to apply for a search warrant,” he said.
Last year’s campaign reduced index crime incidents in the province, Escobar said, citing 40 cases of murder, compared to 45 cases in 2018; and 19 theft cases, as against 31 cases in 2018.
“(The) Binirayan Festival was also successful in terms of security with zero major crime incidence,” he said.
Meanwhile, Escobar said they could not ascertain the numbers of loose firearms in the province because they are not registered. (PNA)
