Only few avail gun amnesty program
By Jani Arnaiz
Supt. Pepito Pacada
MAASIN CITY – Southern Leyte police director, Supt. Pepito Pacada, said on Monday that since the amnesty program started last July, only 360 loose firearms out estimated 3,000 have been registered.
“But with that number we still have complied of the nine percent required of us from Camp Crame,” said Pacada.
Pacada said, the 360 that has been registered is already more than 10 percent. “We are still calling those who have firearms to register it since the gun amnesty program has been extended upto December 1.”
He said he didn’t know how Camp Crame arrived at that number (3,000) of firearms in Southern Leyte.
Southern Leyte has consistently awarded as the most peaceful province by the National Peace and Order Council for the last three years.
A local radioman suggested that number of firearms may have been collated since the 1980’s when the province was still hounded by insurgency problem. Since five years ago, the province was declared as insurgency by the military.
The new PNP director said, renewal of firearms cost P600 while new registration cost P1,000.
Pacada urged owners of firearms, which were not registered yet, to avail of the amnesty.
A firearm is considered to be “loose” if it is not registered with the PNP.
PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa had proposed that owners of loose firearms be considered as members of a terrorist or a syndicate group and that the possession of unregistered firearms be classified a non-bailable offense.
