THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas reported a significant haul of illegal firearms and explosives in the first three months of 2024.
Their efforts towards a gun-free Western Visayas resulted in the seizure of 998 loose firearms and 122 explosives, with 182 arrests made.
PRO-Western Visayas' strategy, dubbed "Tokhang Kontra Armas Luthang" (Tkal), utilizes a two-pronged approach to tackle the issue of illegal firearms.
The "Tokhang Panagbalay" (soft-hand approach) encourages the voluntary surrender, deposit, or abandonment of unlicensed firearms.
This approach emphasizes community engagement and awareness.
The "iron-hand approach" focuses on stricter law enforcement through targeted police operations to confiscate illegal firearms.
Firearms: 998 in all were taken into custody; 189 were seized by the police (an iron hand); 809 surrendered, deposited, or deposited (soft hand).
Here's the arrangement from highest to lowest based on the firearm confiscation records:
1. Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) - 329
2. Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo) - 188
3. Antique Police Provincial Office (Antppo) - 105
4. Capiz Police Provincial Office (Cppo) - 101
5. Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 (RMFB6) - 96
6. Aklan Police Provincial Office (Akppo) - 92
7. Bacolod City Police Office (Bcpo) - 41
8. Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) - 34
9. Guimaras Police Provincial Office (Gppo) - 12
Explosives: 122 total recovered; Eight by law enforcement (iron hand); 114 by through voluntary surrender or retrieval (soft hand).
1. Nocppo - 35 explosives recovered
2. Ippo - 32 explosives recovered
3. Akppo - 21 explosives recovered
4. Antppo - 16 explosives recovered
5. Cppo - nine explosives recovered
6. Bcpo - five explosives recovered
7. Gppo - two explosives recovered
8. Icpo and RMFB6 - one explosive recovered each
Arrests: 182 individuals were apprehended
1. Nocppo - 68 arrests
2. Ippo - 45 arrests
3. Cppo - 22 arrests
4. Bcpo - 14 arrests
5. Icpo - 11 arrests
6. Antppo - 10 arrests
7. Akppo - five arrests
8. Gppo - five arrests
7. RMFB6 - two arrests
Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky, regional director of the PRO-Western Visayas, commended the efforts of all units involved in the operation.
"Let’s continue to account for the remaining loose firearms in the region to prevent these from being used in the commission of a crime. Napalaking bagay po ito kung makukuha natin ang mga baril sa mga hindi otorisadong tao dahil mababawasan ang instrumento na pwde nilang magamit sa paggawa ng ano mang kremin,” Wanky said.
(It would be a big deal if we could get guns away from unauthorized people because it would reduce the tools they could use to commit any crime.) (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)