Capiceños avail of gun amnesty
ROXAS CITY – At least 419 guns in the province were applied for amnesty by their owners to avoid future problems with the law.
“The figure consists of 333 firearms intended for renewal of license while 86 are being processed for the issuance of license,” said Capiz Police Provincial Office (CPPO) – Firearms and Explosives Security Agency and Guard Supervision chief SPO1 Rey Demontaño.
“Additional number of applicants is expected as the amnesty program closes to its deadline,” Demontaño added.
The processing of licenses for loose firearms or renewal of expired gun licenses runs from October 1 to 30 this year.
The program is aimed to account the estimated 1 million loose firearms nationwide and possibly deter violent incidents in the upcoming national and local elections.
President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo noted in her Executive Order 817 that 97 percent of all crime incidents involving firearms were committed using loose/unregistered firearms based on statistics from 2004 t0 2008.
“Renewal of firearms license costs P 650.00 only, while application fee for license for loose firearms is P1,000.00,” said a Police Regional Office (PRO) – 6 website.
The PNP along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and other law enforcement agencies will go after the owners of loose firearms after the amnesty period. (PIA/A.Lumaque)