The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office continues to implement its campaign against loose firearms amid reports of private armed groups being activated for the May 13, 2013 polls.

NOPPO deputy director Supt. Alet Virtucio said provincial director Senior Supt. Edward Carranza has ordered police chiefs in the 19 towns and six cities of the province to continuously apply for search warrants against those believed to possess loose firearms.

Each police chief was given a quota of a minimum one search warrant applied against a suspect per month. This is in line with a directive from the PNP main headquarters to account for all loose firearms in the country, he added.

There are about 6,000 loose guns in the province based on PNP Regional Office 7 records. The number of illegal forearms so far confiscated was, however, not made available.

Virtucio said there are at least one million loose firearms in the country. He said the PNP has asked for the support of the judges in the issuance of search warrants against target personalities, but admitted that applying for a warrant is not easy as a judge has to be convinced that the application is justified.*JFP

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