THE top official of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) is warning gun owners to register or renew their licenses, otherwise be subjected to a massive implementation of search warrant against loose firearms this month.
City police director Col. Nelson Aganon said various police stations will be directed to carry out court orders to account unrenewed firearms in the city.
He said Cocpo has already applied search warrants against gun owners whose license and registration were not renewed and failed to turn it into the authorities for safekeeping.
“After this warning na i-turn in muna yung firearms hanggat di pa na-renew, (After this warning, the firearms in question will be turned over to the police in the meantime until the owners are able to renew their licenses),” he said.
“We will go on massive implementation of search warrant at ma-expect nyo yan (and expect to happen it) this month. Kaya sana huwag na umabot na ma-search warrant pa sila (That’s why let’s not wait that they will be served with search warrants),” Aganon said.
Out of 8,166 unrenewed guns in the city, 121 were renewed after gun owners heed the call of the police through the “Oplan Katok (operation knock).” The said campaign yielded 35 unrenewed firearms voluntarily surrendered by gun holders.
Aganon maintained that they will go after those who will not renew their gun’s license and registration regardless of status.
This as he also appeals to the candidates for the May polls to surrender their guns if its license and registration were not renewed.
“Ang ating (our) operation sa (in the) loose firearms will continue kahit ano pa status sa buhay (regardless of one’s social status), (whether you are) ordinary people ka man, politician, businessman we will really implement the law,” Aganon said.
“Sa mga politician at kandidato kung ma-applayan ka man ng search warrant ito ay di politika kundi trabaho lang kasi di naman kami nagkulang sa pagpapaalala (to the politicians and candidates, if you will be served with search warrant, it does not mean it’s politically motivated, but it is our job to do so because we did not lack in reminding them),” he added.
Aganon said police may directly file a case against gun holders who will not renew their license and registration without subjecting them to search warrant operations.
However, the point of applying a search warrant against the gun owner is to recover the firearm.
“Ginagawa natin ito kasi may mga insidente na yung mga unrenewed firearms ay nanakaw at pag nagamit yan sa krimen maaring makasuhan pa rin yung owner,” he said.
(We are doing this because there was an incident where unrenewed firearms were stolen and used in crimes, however, owners can still be sued)
Aganon said police stations in the city will assist gun owners in renewing their license and registration.