A RETIRED police officer surrendered three unlicensed firearms to the police of Balamban last Wednesday afternoon.

Senior Insp. Deni Mari Pedrozo, the town police chief, said Arvie Ricardo Banate Jr. gave up a .38 revolver with bullets, .9mm Black Widow revolver with bullets and a .45 pistol BCG Pro without magazine.

Banate does not own the firearms. These were first surrendered to him by concerned citizens.

Banate heads the Balamban Municipal Government's Civil Security Unit.

Pedrozo said Banate surrendered the firearms for safekeeping and prevention from being used in the barangay elections next month.

The firearms will be subjected to ballistics examination to determine if these were used in previous shooting incidents in Balamban.

Pedrozo urged other retired police officers, barangay officials, candidates and civilians to surrender their loose firearms.

Last Monday night, April 16, Melvin Baliguat and Joel Torreon Aliviado were caught carrying loose firearms in a checkpoint in Barangay Nangka. (KAL/SunStar Cebu)