Nueva Ecija has 12,830 loose guns--PNP

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, January 19, 2013–The province of Nueva Ecija – listed an election “hot spot” due to intense political rivalries among politicians and past incidents of political violence - is teeming with loose firearms with some 12,800 guns in the hands of various individuals, the Philippine National Police reported yesterday.

          Senior Superintendent Crisaldo Nieves, newly installed PNP provincial director, said the total number of loose firearms in the province has reached 12,830 based on figures released by the Firearms and Explosives Division.

          Nieves admitted that the figures are alarming considering that the province has been classified as an election “hot spot.” He said the PNP is exerting efforts to recover these firearms so that they will never be utilized in the coming May elections.

          Loose firearms refer to guns with expired licenses, or which licenses have not been renewed, have been revoked or been categorized as “wanted.” A firearm is considered expired and unrenewed when its license has not been touched for the last two years. It is categorized as revoked or wanted beyond two years.

          Of the 12,830, some 4,619 were considered expired and unrenewed were revoked or wanted.

          These guns are divided into high- and low-powered firearms. High-powered guns include shotgun, 357 revolver, Magnum 44 revolver, sub-machinegun, M-16, M-14 and Garand rifles, Carbine and Galil rifles. 

          Nieves made the revelation during a press conference at the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office where he and Chief Superintendent Wendy Rosario, chief of the Regional Special Operations Task Group (RSOTG) presented to newsmen 456 loose guns recovered in a series of operations by the provincial police and the RSOTG.  

          Del Rosario said the recovery of these guns might help reduce crimes in the province. “Imagine, if we were not able to recover these guns, we might have a higher crime incidence,” he said.

          Of these firearms, 60 were confiscated in checkpoints and under “Oplan Bakal” and “Oplan Sita” while nine were seized during the implementation of the gun ban. Another nine were recovered in armed encounters and during the serving of search warrants.

          Nieves said a total of 387 firearms were surrendered by gun holders.

          Cabanatuan accounts for one-fourth of the number of loose firearms in the province with 3,507, according to police chief, Superintendent Eli Depra.

Police Superintendent Peter Madria, deputy provincial director for operations, said they have accounted for 10,806 firearms holders in the province of whom 1,604 renewed their licenses, 490 moved their addresses, 231 could not be located, 379 licensees were dead and 22 guns whose registered licensees have fictitious names. (Manny Galvez)