I’M referring to the ongoing crackdown by the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office or PNP-FEO headed by Colonel Kenneth Lucas against licensed gun-holders accused of using their firearms to ‘terrorize or bully’ other people and worst, skirt some provisions of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.

PNP chief, General Jun Azurin has given the PNP-FEO the go-signal to go after the heads of erring licensed firearms’ holders and ensure that those who will be found violating RA 10591 and other laws specifically the Revised Penal Code will be stripped of their License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOFP) and other permits.

Consider this: any person who refuses to turnover his weapons to the PNP after being stripped of his LTOFP and other gun permits will find himself being subjected to a search warrant for violation of RA 10591 since his guns are already considered illegal firearms.

Last week, the PNP-FEO bared its fangs anew when it ordered the revocation of the LTOFP of one Jason Cuento, a former councilor of Santa Rosa, Laguna. As a result, Calabarzon police director, Brigadier General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said that the latter surrendered his 14 licensed firearms to the local police.

Nartatez said that Cuento, a resident of Barangay Poblacion III asked a friend to turn over a caliber. .22 rifle, a cal. 30 rifle, a cal. 7.62 rifle, two cal. 5.56 M-16 automatic rifles, two 12-gauge shotguns, a cal. 9mm Uzi machine pistol, a cal. .380 pistol, four cal. .45 semi-automatic pistols and a cal. .357 revolver as well as dozens of assorted live ammunition and magazines to the Santa Rosa Municipal Police Station in the aftermath of a continuing investigation into a murder case in the municipality.

Brig. Gen. Nartatez told me that the PNP-FEO chief ordered the revocation of the LTOFP of Cuento and one Jonathan Bondad amid the ongoing police investigation of the two’s purported use of their licensed guns in unlawful activities in the province.

The official said that follow-up operations conducted by the Laguna Police Provincial Office headed by Col. Randy Glenn Silvio had already led led in the arrest of two suspects in the killing of local resident Harrison Diamante last January 8.

He added that follow-up operations conducted by the Laguna PPO also led in the arrest of 10 others and the confiscation of a cache of high-powered weapons and explosives. Prior to the arrest of the 10, Nartatez said that the Laguna police arrested two suspects in the killing of Diamante.

Charges for murder, direct assault and violation of RA 10591 have been filed against the suspects, one of whom confessed that the the ‘contract killing’ was ordered by one ‘Boss Jason.’ Brig. Gen. Nartatez said that the suspected brains was later identified as Christened Jayson Cuento.

Brig. Gen. Nartatez said that the January 8 murder incident prompted the Laguna PPO headed by Col. Silvio to launch a massive operation to get the other suspects and account for their weapons. The simultaneous raids resulted in the arrest of 10 suspects and the recovery of nine handguns, two fragmentation grenades and several magazines and dozens of live ammunition.

Last month, the PNP-FEO also announced the revocation of the LTOFP of 240 individuals 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, Col. Lucas told me.

One of the 240 individuals is Negros Oriental (3rd District) Representative Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves Jr. who was stripped of his LTOFP after an investigation showed that he presented spurious documents to support his gun application papers.

Col. Lucas said that as the law knows no bounds, among the holders of such privilege who was 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 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. Col. Lucas said that after the legal procedure was discussed, Rep. Teves peacefully surrendered his firearms to their office.

The FEO conducts regular inspections and audit in accordance with RA 10591 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, 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 manifest that we are serious in our thrust to account loose firearms in all parts of the country, said the member of PNP Academy Class 1995 who is set to earn his star-rank.

In 2022 alone, the PNP-FEO director said that they revoked 41 LTOFPs for various violations of existing regulations. On the same year, a total of 201 firearms registered to these revoked licenses were likewise subsequently confiscated, he added.

Everybody must understand that the grounds for revocation of LTOFP and other gun permits include involvement of the gun owners in any violation of laws like illegal drugs, illegal gambling, commission or pendency of a crime involving firearms and ammunition, prolonged non-renewal of a firearms license, illegal or unlawful transfer of firearms, violation of the election gun ban, revoked by order of the court, and misrepresentation or submission of spurious supporting documents.

Col. Lucas said that out of the 187 cases, 31 cases of firearms owners were also linked to illegal drugs. “This is part of our commitment to tackle the involvement in illegal drug activities of licensed gun-holders,” the PNP-FEO director said.

The official has urged licensed gun owners to follow the proper procedures for owning and using firearms and warned that failure to comply with laws and regulations will result in the revocation of their licenses and filing of appropriate criminal cases as evidence warrants.