No search warrants vs delinquent gun holders during poll period
PHILIPPINE National Police spokesperson, Brigadier General Jean S. Fajardo yesterday assured the public that no search warrants will be applied on delinquent firearm holders during the election period to allay fears that those could be used to harass candidates and their supporters.
“We won’t do that. Hindi po mag-aapply ng search warrants ang kapulisan laban sa mga holders ng licensed firearms. Walang search warrant to harass gunholders at hinding-hindi po magpapagamit ang PNP sa ibang mga kandidato,” said the official.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo said that on Wednesday, the Commission on Elections gun ban committee led by Commissioner Aimee Ferolina met to discuss some issues including the additional guidelines to be issued by the PNP Directorate for Operations during the election period.
The Comelec earlier said it wants guidelines for the safe conduct of the PNP’s Revitalized Katok during the polling period to prevent others from using it to intimidate others.
According to Comelec spokesperson Attorney John Rex Laudiangco, all that Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia wants is for the PNP to add safeguards to its door-to-door campaign against firearms with expired licenses.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo said she was told that the Comelec only wanted to be assured that written PNP guidelines regarding the matter would be strictly followed, and that police would not allow themselves to be used by others during the election period.
She added that since they have a common ground, PNP representatives assured the Comelec that the Revitalized Katok has already been implemented since 2002 as part of a national program for firearms registration.
“We expect the PNP-DO to issue additional guidelines to make sure na yung intent of the program will be followed by the police para hindi magamit sa panghaharass. Other than that, wala pong mag-aapply ng search warrants dahil s autos lang isang kandidato,” the PNP spokesperson said.
“We are just encouraging them to renew their gun permits or temporarily surrender them for safekeeping. Ang PNP pa po ang tutulong sa pag-renew nila ng kanilang mga licenses,” said Brig. Gen. Fajardo.
The PNP spokesperson who is also the current Police Regional Office 3 director in Central Luzon said that adequate measures are already in place to ensure that licensed firearms deposited to police stations under their Revitalized Katok will not be tampered with or even stolen.
She said that as a matter of procedure, guns being deposited for safekeeping in police stations are fully documented with their serial numbers taken and magazines and ammunition counted before being sealed in envelopes and kept in police safety vaults.
“They (guns) are properly tagged in front of the gun owners, documented para pag-withdraw pag renewed na mga licenses eh original pa din. This is being done to allay apprehension na mawala ang deposited na baril,” Brig. Gen. Fajardo said.
She also said that uniformed policemen are implementing the Revitalized Katok between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only with the delinquent firearm holders being given due notice at all times.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo said that the PNP program has resulted in the identification of some gun holders who have transferred to other residences or some who have already died but their heirs continue to keep on their firearms believing that its ownership is automatically transferred to them.
