The Philippine National Police yesterday urged the 10,823 gun holders with expired licenses in Negros Occidental to renew their permits, or face charges in court for illegal possession of firearms.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz said gunholders whose licenses have expired more than a year ago, will be the targets of their campaign, after the gun amnesty period ended in 2010.

Cruz said the National Secretariat for Firearm Control is giving gun holders six months to renew their licenses after expiration, and a timeframe of another six months to apply for warrants against them for non-compliance.

There are 22,462 licensed firearms with Negrenses, but 10,823 have expired licenses, records of the Police Regional Office 6 show.

In Bacolod City alone, there are 11,052 individuals with gun licenses, 635 of them granted by the Philippine National Police authority to carry guns outside their residences, records of the Police Regional Office 6 also show..

This is on top of an estimated 6,000 loose firearms being possessed by other individuals in Negros Occidental.

The PNP reported that there are about 112,665 unlicensed and licensed guns possessed by individuals and juridical entities in Western Visayas, of which 41,168 are classified as loose firearms, and these include the 29, 575 with expired licenses.

There are also 60,341 firearms possessed by licensed gun holders in Region 6, including 22,462 documented firearms in Negros Occidental, records of the PRO6 further show.*GPB

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