A POLICE Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao official said policemen in the region will not be taping the muzzles of their firearms for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Northern Mindanao Police regional director Chief Superintendent Noel Constantino said he is counting on discipline and responsibility among policemen in the region, confident that these values will be enough to discourage policemen from illegally discharging their firearms.
"The practice of muzzle taping only shows the distrust of the organization to its very own policemen such that we need to require unit commanders to physically put a tape around the muzzle of the firearms of policemen," Constantino said.
Constantino clarified that the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership trusts and treats every policeman as a responsible law enforcement officer and gun holder.
The regional PNP chief however, warns policemen over illegal discharge of firearms and indiscriminate firing.
Constantino reminds police officers to fire their guns only when "extremely necessary in the line of duty."
PRO-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Superintendent Surki Sereñas said this is the initiative only of Northern Mindanao Police while other PNP regional offices may have been keeping the practice of muzzle taping.
"The yearly PNP tradition of taping the muzzle of firearms is supposed to be held simultaneously across the region today and all units are ready. I guess the media are also all set to cover the activity However, the directive is clear. We will forego with the firearms muzzle taping," Sereñas said.
Sereñas also said any member of the PNP organization who will violate the directive on illegal discharge of firearms and indiscriminate firing will face criminal charges and administrative sanctions such as suspension or dismissal from service.
Sereñas declined to give relative data of indiscriminate firing in the region.