THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will no longer seal the muzzle of their guns during the holiday season to show that they are disciplined and trustworthy enough to follow rules, a police official said Monday.
PNP Directorate for Operations Camilo Cascolan said it was PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa who issued the order to do away with the annual holiday tradition of putting a tape on the police's pistols.
“It’s a directive from the chief PNP last command conference. This is to show the people that the PNP is a disciplined and trusted organization. In that case, it does not need muzzle taping,” he said.
In the early 1990’s, the PNP started sealing the muzzle of their guns with packaging tapes to ensure that they will not use it indiscriminately during the holidays.
However, Dela Rosa wanted to change the tradition to show the public that they are disciplined and responsible enough in using their government-issued firearm.
"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," Northern Mindanao regional director Chief Supt. Noel Constantino said.
"The PNP leadership today trusts and treats every policeman as a responsible law enforcement officer and gun-holder who will not fire his firearms indiscriminately and will only fire it when it is extremely necessary to do so in the line of duty," he added.
However, Constantino warned the police officers whom will be find guilty of illegal discharge of their firearms during the season.
"Those who will violate the directive on illegal discharge of firearms will be severely dealt with to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. (Sunnex)