PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. on Monday said he has ordered an intensified crackdown against loose firearms in the country and wanted persons amid their round-the-clock effort to keep the streets safe.

“In line with the 2023 National Crime Prevention Program approved by President Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr. on May 2, 2023 thru Memorandum Circular No. 19, the PNP is focusing more on the preventive aspects of crime control,” the top cop said.

First and foremost in their crime control efforts is the massive effort to take away illegal guns which are the common instruments of crime and violence in the country.

Second is the accounting of criminal elements who set into motion the criminal motive and last is the hardening of soft targets and establishment of strong police presence to further deny opportunities for crime to be committed, Gen. Acorda said.

“These preventive actions against crime are more prominent in police operations against loose firearms and arrest of wanted persons,” he said.

According to the PNP chief their crackdown against loose firearms in the country since last January 1 have already resulted in the recovery, surrender or turnover of 10,971 assorted loose firearms.

Those operations also led to the arrest of 3,435 suspects. Another 6,221 firearms with expired licenses were also turned over to the police by their registered owners for temporary safekeeping while their gun papers are being renewed.

Gen. Acorda said that to complement the firearms control measure as a preventive action against crime, police units nationwide also arrested 27,948 wanted persons and accepted the surrender of 143 others.

He added that apart from the operations against wanted persons and loose firearms during the 4-month period, police also neutralized 187 criminal gangs with the arrest of 854 suspects and the surrender of 86 others. A total of 126 illegal firearms were recovered from the suspect.

Gen. Acorda said they are also continuously monitoring the activities of some 48 Private Armed Groups that may mobilize in the forthcoming 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election.

Criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 have been filed against the arrested suspects who were all tagged as persons who pose a threat to public safety and security in the

The PNP Civil Security Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Benjamin H. Silo Jr. also launched a massive public awareness campaign to convince licensed firearms’ holders in the country to renew their expiring permits or face charges and sanctions which include losing their License to Own and Possess Firearms.

The official said delinquent firearm holders will face charges for violation of RA 10591 which will result in the revocation of their gun permits, the confiscation of their firearms and even imprisonment and fines.

Brig. Gen. Silo said he is calling on all responsible gun-holders to keep in their minds that owning a gun is not a right but a privilege which can be revoked once they commit infractions of the law including failure to renew their licenses on time.