RES GESTAE
Blatantly unnecessary
Accounting the 1.1 million loose firearms is a noble goal. This, I contend that Police Director General Jesus Ame Versoza, Chief of the Philippine National Police, deserves all the accolades with his order to crack down the loose firearms in the country.
Versoza has recently bared that there are 550,000 formerly licensed firearms with expired registration, 520,000 individual persons with unlicensed guns and about 15,000 to 20,000 firearms handled by rebels and criminal elements.
The number of loose firearms is indeed enough to pose as threat to day-to-day peace and order situation, and especially now that we are coming close to the 2010 election.
This must also be the reason for the PNP top cop to recommend to President Arroyo for the release of 5 million budget to reward tipsters on unlicensed guns as part of the drive against loose firearms.
Unfortunately, yes unfortunately, President Arroyo approved the release of the fund.
I don’t buy the idea of having this reward system as part of the campaign. The reason: It is susceptible to abuse, if not corruption. It does not also speak well of the law enforcement agencies that this country has.
By putting a reward system, Versoza utterly admits that his organization - the PNP - is less efficient and less effective in accounting the 1.1 million loose firearms.
Well, to think of it, the number of loose firearms in this country is only getting bigger and bigger despite the PNP’s “intensified” drive against these guns for years, from one Chief PNP to another, then another.
Truly, the campaign against loose firearms is but similar to other police campaigns – illegal drugs, illegal gambling, carnapping, name it.
There was once a reward system in clearing a barangay affected by illegal drugs. After the rewards were given away, then what? Illegal drugs remain the potent threat in our peace and order today.
Same story goes for PNP’s campaign against carnapping, illegal gambling, wanted persons, etc.
This means only one thing – the reward system is unnecessary. I strongly believe the PNP can do (and do it well) its campaigns if it chooses to do so even without putting up a reward system to tipster.