THE Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO) has revoked the License to Own and Possess Firearms or LTFOP issued to former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves amid the ongoing search for guns licensed or not-believed to have been used in the commission of many unsolved crimes in the province including the March 4 killing of Gov. Roel R. Degamo and eight others.

PNP-FEO Director Colonel Paul Kenneth T. Lucas made the recommendation to PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.

With the revocation of his LTOFP, Pryde Teves won’t be allowed to acquire and possess licensed guns and would be facing charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act of 2013 in case he yield even a single firearm.

The brother of suspended Negros Oriental (3rd District) Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves earlier denied owning the cache of weapons and ammunition recovered by the police inside the HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture Corporation in Barangay Caranoche in Sta. Catalina municipality.

Apart from the guns and nearly 10,000 rounds of assorted live ammunition, officers from the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) led by Col. Hansel M. Marantan also found two vaults containing P18,926,806 in cash inside the Teves compound.

Three men, one of them said to be a security officer of Teves, were arrested during the raid conducted on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Allan Francisco Garciano of the Mandaue City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Officers who used a backhoe to dig part of the compound later recovered three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), assorted IED components, gun spare parts, spent cartridges, fired slugs, and black powder.

PNP-CIDG officials refuted claims by Pryde Teves that the three arrested suspects are being forced to testify against him.

They also laughed off claims by Teves that the vehicle containing the two vaults, which yielded nearly P19 million in cash, was only brought to the HDJ compound to form part of the evidence against the politician.

Pryde signed a waiver allowing authorities to look into his bank accounts. However, Journal Group sources said that prior to that, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has already started investigating his bank deposits amid reports that huge withdrawals have been made prior to the signing of the waiver.

Earlier, Azurin ordered the PNP-FEO to crack down on licensed gun-holders who may be skirting some provisions of RA 10591.

The PNP chief ordered Lucas to ensure that any licensed gun-holder who will be found violating RA 10591 and other laws, specifically the Revised Penal Code (RPC), will be stripped of their LTOFP.

Persons stripped of their LTOFP and other gun permits who refuse to turn over their weapons to the PNP will find themselves being subjected to search warrants for violation of RA 10591 since their guns are already considered illegal firearms, said PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo.

Last month the PNP-FEO announced the revocation of the LTOFP of 240 individuals, including Rep. Teves, after they were found to have violated provisions of RA 10591 and crimes over the past four years.

The move was made to ensure that these erring individuals won’t be given the opportunity to use their licensed weapons to commit unlawful acts in the streets.

Rep. Teves was stripped of his LTOFP after an investigation showed that he presented spurious documents to support his gun application papers.

Lucas said that as the “law knows no bounds,” among the holders of such privilege who were subjected to an inspection and audit as authorized by law was Rep. Teves.

He said that during one of the regular inspections and audits conducted on gun holders, it appeared that spurious documents were submitted by Rep. Teves in support of his application for a firearm license.

As a result of the findings and after appropriate deliberation, the PNP-FEO revoked the lawmaker’s gun privilege and confiscated the three long firearms and nine short firearms registered under his name.

Lucas said that after the legal procedure was discussed, Rep. Teves peacefully surrendered his firearms to their office.

The FEO conducts regular inspections and audits in accordance with RA 10591  and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), the official emphasized.

“No one is exempted in our enforcement of the law. Our implementation is always fair and judicious in accordance with existing laws and regulations. This only manifests that we are serious in our thrust to account [for] loose firearms in all parts of the country, said Lucas.