37 loose and unrenewed guns surrendered in Carcar
A total of 37 loose and unrenewed firearms were surrendered in Carcar City in the past two weeks as the city's police intensified their campaign against loose firearms.
Chief Inspector Randy Korret, Carcar City Police Station chief, said that 24 of those surrendered were loose firearms while the remaining 14 were unrenewed firearms.
The surrendered firearms include .38 and .22 caliber revolvers and one .22 caliber rifle allegedly owned by the husband of a city official.
Among those who deposited their unrenewed firearms were four barangay officials, two policemen and one city councilor.
“May papers naman, pero ongoing pa ang pagprocess,” said Korret.
He said that the intensified campaign against loose firearms is part of their preparation for the yuletide season and upcoming fiesta celebration.
“Usually kasi tumataas ang crime volume by NovemberDecember based doon sa 2016 statistics, so ito ang ginawa natin to prevent possible crimes. Madalas kasi ay ang ginagamit sa crime ay itong mga loose firearms kasi mahirap i-trace ng mga police,” said Korret.
On reports that there are more loose firearms in the city than are known to them, Korret said they are intensifying ‘Oplan Katok' operations.
‘Oplan Katok' aims to persuade owners of loose firearms to surrender their guns before they will be arrested.
Aside from intensifying “Oplan Katok,” Korret is also going after wanted personalities whom he believes contribute to the volume of crime.
Korret is hopeful that with the number of surrendered loose firearms, the volume of crime in the city will lessen.
“Ipagpatuloy pa din natin ang intensified campaign against loose firearms, hindi dito magtatapos,” he said.
He also appreciates the effort and support from the constituents of Carcar City in giving the police information and providing reports about gun owners of loose or unrenewed firearms.
Meanwhile in Toledo City, a barangay councilor was arrested for illegal possession of a .45 caliber firearm.
Algerico Tanilon, 47, a councilor of Barangay Matab-ang, Toledo City, was arrested by virtue of a search warrant issued against him following at least a week of close monitoring by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7, in close coordination with Toledo City police.
Jenevie Tanilon, daughter of Tanilon, said that her father's guns are only for protection.
"He only uses it for selfdefense and he doesn't display it in public," she said.
Aside from the .45 calibre firearm, police also found bullets and other gun paraphernalia in Tanilon's home.
Police Chief Inspector Chuck Barandog, head of the team who served the search warrant said that Tanilon is in police custody while the firearm is already in CIDG's custody for ballistic examination.
The operation is in line with the Philippine National Police's campaign on responsible use of firearms, Oplan Paglalansag Omega.