PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos yesterday commended the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headed by Major Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. for their stepped-up implementation of the PNP “Oplan: Bawi” aimed at recovering firearms issued to Metro Manila policemen who have been dismissed from the service.

“Thank you for doing your job well. The speedy recovery of the firearms is a testament of your dedication to your work,” the top cop said while adding that the continuing effort by the NCRPO to account for PNP-issued firearms which have not been surrendered by already dismissed cops is a testament to their serious effort to pursue their internal cleansing efforts.

Since last year, the NCRPO has already recovered over a dozen PNP-issued firearms still being kept by dismissed or AWOL police personnel.

Last Wednesday, the NCRPO recovered four more firearms issued to dismissed policemen, one of them the pistol issued to Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, the cop who was dismissed from the force and convicted by the court for two counts of murder last August 26.

Nuezca was the policeman caught on video shooting a woman and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac last December following an argument. He escaped with his young daughter but later surrendered to the police and was put into jail until he was fired from the force for grave misconduct and later sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty beyond reasonable doubt by the court.

The NCRPO found out that Nuezca’s firearm was not presented as evidence, hence, it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the court.

Danao said that the NCRPO Regional Task Group’s Oplan: Bawi team coordinated with the Paniqui Municipal Police Station and the Tarlac City Forensic Unit for the recovery of the weapon.

He added that three more PNP-issued firearms were also recovered by his men.

One of them is a 9mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol issued to a former patrolman who was dismissed from the force after going on AWOL status when he got involved in a robbery with frustrated homicide case in Cavite.

The two others are a Thompson cal. .45 pistol and another 9mm Beretta pistol which were issued to two already dismissed police personnel.

“I am impressed with the speedy recovery of these firearms from erring police personnel who are unworthy not only of the trust and confidence bestowed upon them by the people but more so of the uniform which represents the PNP organization” said Danao.

The NCRPO chief said the 9mm pistol issued to a dismissed patrolman was initially submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory for ballistics examination on May 2, 2017. He said that after a Parañaque City Regional Trial Court decided on the case, they requested for the release of the firearm.

“Lubos kong ikinagagalak ang mabilis at agarang pagkaresolba sa mga kasong isinampa laban sa mga nabanggit na mga akusado. Gayundin naman, lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa ating mga kasama sa kanilang walang kapagurang dedikasyon sa trabaho na naging sanhi ng pagbawi natin sa mga baril na ito na nagamit sa hindi kaayaayang mga pangyayari. Makakaasa po ang ating mamamayan na mas paiigtingin pa natin ang paghanap at pagbawi sa iba pang mga baril na sa halip na magamit sa serbisyo publiko ay nagamit sa paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao at krimen,” the Metro Manila police director said.

Danao said their intensified operation to recover PNP-issued firearms from erring police personnel is in line with Oplan: Bawi which was reiterated by the PNP chief through a memorandum issued by the PNP Directorate for Logistics.