“Task Force Armas” was organized by the Philippine National Police to spearhead the campaign to account for more than 33,000 loose firearms in Western Visayas, as part of its security preparations for the 2013 elections.

Majority of the 33,000 guns to be accounted for by the police are those with expired licenses, which are now being considered as loose firearms.

The re-launching of the campaign came after Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz assumed as regional police chief, about two months ago.

Cruz has given Senior Supt. Wesley Baragyuga, who heads the task force, until Dec. 31 this year, to bring down the number of loose firearms.

Initial police investigations showed that some owners of the guns with expired licenses had either sold or lost them.

Cruz said the deed of sale or donation of firearms does not suffice to delete the names of their owners from the database of the Philippine National Police.

In the two months of campaign, police have arrested 91 persons for illegal possession of firearms, with 19 suspects accounted for in Negros Occidental.*GPB

back to top