EFFECTIVE POLICE CAMPAIGN. PRO-13 director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II (2nd from left), in an interview on Monday (May 15, 2023) in Butuan City, reports the significant accomplishments in the police campaign against loose firearms, crimes, and terrorism in the Caraga Region. Labra is joined by other top PRO-13 officials, including Col. Michael Lebanan (left), the Deputy Director for Operations; Col. James Goforth (2nd right) the chief of the regional operations division; and Col. Martin Camba (right), head of the regional investigation and detection management division. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
BUTUAN CITY – The intensified campaign against the loose firearms in Caraga Region for the past seven months has resulted in the confiscation and surrender of 777 guns to field units of the regional police office, its officials said Monday afternoon.
In an interview, Police Regional Office-Caraga (PRO-13) Director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II said the loose firearms were collected from Nov. 2, 2022 to May 2 this year.
Labra said the continuing drive is in line with the preparations for the upcoming synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October this year.
“We have not identified any private armed group operating in the Caraga Region but our monitoring and operations on loose firearms will continue,” he said, adding that the campaign also includes the call to gun owners with expired permits to turn over the firearms to the police.
“Most of the loose firearms in our custody now were those surrendered voluntarily by individuals and those handed over by communist rebels who surrendered to PRO-13,” Labra said.
Data provided by Col. James Goforth, chief of the PRO-13 regional operations division, indicated that 783 actions against loose firearms were conducted in the region during the period.
Also, 77 suspects were arrested during the operations with 88 loose firearms confiscated, while 545 guns were voluntarily surrendered by owners whose licenses and permits have expired.
At least 144 firearms were also handed over by members of the New People’s Army who surrendered in the same period.
Meanwhile, in separate data provided by Col. Martin Camba, the PRO-13 chief of the regional investigation and detection management division, said 1,876 crimes were recorded in the region during the first quarter of 2023.
From January to March this year, the PRO-13 had a crime solution efficiency rate of 76.9 percent with 1,443 crimes solved out of the total number recorded.
Big win vs. NPA
In the same interview, Col. Michael Lebanan, the police office deputy regional director for operation, said the NPA suffered major losses from Nov. 2, 2022, to May 14, 2023, through arrests and surrenders of their leaders and members.
Ninety-two NPA insurgents were arrested while 306 others surrendered to the various police units in the region for the past seven months, he said.
“The convergence of all the resources of the government in the fight to end the local communist armed conflict in the Caraga Region is gaining ground,” Lebanan said.
Labra and Lebanan reiterated their calls to the remaining NPA guerrillas in the region to surrender and avail themselves of the programs and services of the government. (PNA)
