By Jennifer P. Rendon
It’s all about leading by example.
Members of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) highlighted the importance of firearm licensing by voluntarily turning in their personal firearms with expired licenses.
Colonel Joeresty Coronica, Iloilo City police director, said “It’s about doing what you preach.”
On Monday, July 18, several officers turned over to the Regional Civil Security Unit (RCSU) 34 firearms with un-renewed licenses.
Majority of the gun holders are processing or have yet to process their License To Own and Possess Firearm (LTOPF) and their firearm licenses.
A few have decided to permanently give up their gun in favor of the government.
Coronica said the move is relative to their sustained campaign against loose firearms.
“It also forms part of our initiative in preparation for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections,” he added.
The city’s top cop said they also aimed to encourage other police officers and civilian gun holders to also surrender their firearms if they have yet to process their licenses.
“Or else they will be subjected to police operations,” he said.
Last year, ICPO estimated that around two percent of gun owners in Iloilo City have managed to renew their firearm licenses.
Major Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson, said only 112 of more than 5,000 gun holders have renewed their firearms, as of August 2022.
But she said yesterday that the number could have gone higher since they noted a good number of applications from Iloilo City-based gun holders.
There were several factors that triggered the low turn-out of renewals.
One was the pandemic while police also took into consideration that a good number of gun holders, especially the elderly, had a hard time in the renewal process.
That’s why, Sangrines said the holding of a caravan to give chance to firearm holders to renew their LTOPF and their gun license is a big help.
