PNP TURNS OVER 7K SEIZED GUNS TO FARMING TOOLS
THE Philippine National Police headed by General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. on Monday literally started turning more than 7,000 seized guns into farming tools including ploughshares.
The top cop, joined by PNP Director for Logistics, Major Gen. Mario A. Reyes led the ceremonial destruction of 7,612 captured, confiscated, surrendered, deposited, abandoned, and forfeited – turned PNP property firearms, also known as CCSDAF-TPPF.
The demilitarization event held at the Camp Crame grandstand was aimed at preventing the unauthorized use of the firearms.
The process involved the cutting of individual steel pieces using a circular saw, rendering the firearms permanently inoperable. These stringent measures guarantee that these firearms can never be used again for unauthorized purposes.
The PNP Logistics Support Service headed by Brigadier Gen. Roderick D. Minong which is the the main PNP unit responsible for the disposal of all Beyond Economic Repair (BER) PNP properties, oversaw the demilitarization process.
It began with an extensive inventory and technical inspection of the 25,476 units of CCSDAF from February 8, 2021, to January 25, 2022.
Subsequently, demilitarization activities were carried out in several batches. The first batch demilitarized 6,338 units, followed by 5,000 units in the second batch, and 6,526 units in the third batch.
Monday’s ceremonial demilitarization event concluded the process with the remaining 7,612 units of BER CCSDAF-TPPF rendered inoperable permanently.
During the event, Gen. Acorda underscored the importance of demilitarization and its main goal of thwarting any future illicit use of firearms.
“By destroying these weapons, we completely eliminate any possibility of them falling into the hands of criminals and being used as instruments of violence. Our intention is not to erase their history, but to repurpose their existence for the betterment of our society,” he said.
“This ceremony signifies our determination to create a safer environment for our communities. It is a clear message to those who wish to disrupt our peace and stability that we are relentless in our pursuit of justice. The removal of these firearms from circulation reinforces our resolve to protect our citizens, maintain law and order, and ultimately build a peaceful society,” the top cop added
In adherence to PNP policies and guidelines on property disposal, the scrap and waste materials resulting from the demilitarization process will be disposed of through a public bidding process.
The proceeds generated from the auction will be deposited in the PNP Thrust Receipt Account. These funds will be utilized to support the various plans and programs of the PNP organization, further strengthening law enforcement capabilities and promoting public safety.
