The Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has confirmed that indeed, there are policemen who do not have government-issued firearms.
PNP Region 7 director Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, Jr. further disclosed that a number of policemen carry guns but these are personally owned.
Garbo said government is addressing this problem on a nationwide scale in line with the campaign against loose firearms.
There are reports some newly downloaded policemen do not have firearms and are acquiring their firearms legally from gun shops because they cannot wait for government to issue them one. This raises the issue of policemen holding licensed firearms without any authority to carry, in contrast to government’s campaign against loose firearms. There are about 600,000 unregistered firearms all over the country, the report said.
Garbo, however, said the problem of firearms availability in the Philippine National Police is being addressed at the national headquarters.
In fact, there is a move by the PNP chief and DILG to allocate the P2 billion intended for capability enhancement program for 2012 for the purchase of firearms, Garbo pointed out.
Meanwhile, Negros Oriental PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Edward Carranza said if one politician has a lot of goons, he has with him more than 1,500 policemen. “They better think it over again,” Carranza warned. (PNA/JFP/Juancho Gallarde)