By Jennifer P. Rendon
When Ilonggos support TKAL.
Nope, not the “tikal” (braggart) that is naturedly associated with Western Visayans.
Rather, it’s the TKAL that boosts Iloilo’s anti-criminality campaign.
Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director, said on Monday that more gun holders cooperated with the government’s call to surrender their loose firearms.
And for Gorero, the move is a clear manifestation of the strong support of responsible gun holders to its campaign against criminality.
IPPO records showed that 491 loose firearms were surrendered to different police units in 2020.
The number is 333 higher, or 210.75%, than the 158 surrendered loose firearms in 2019.
Records also showed that 161 persons were arrested in various police operations for illegal possession of firearms.
Seventy-five were arrested through the implementation of search warrants.
Since 2019, the Iloilo PNP supports the implementation of Police Regional Office 6’s campaign dubbed as OPLAN TKAL or Tokhang Kontra Armas Luthang, which aims to account the loose firearms, either the unregistered or those with unrenewed licenses, to prevent crimes with the use of guns.
Sara Municipal Police Station posted the most number with 76 surrendered loosed firearms. Lambunao MPS came in second with 45, and Janiuay and Lemery with 30 each.
Gorero said owners of loose firearms made a wise decision by surrendering their loose firearms, as it will spare them from becoming subjects of search warrant.
“Your Ilonggo cops are committed to account and recover loose firearms, you better surrender or deposit them before a search warrant is issued against you,” Gorero said, as he called on to other gun holders to heed the campaign.
The call for gun holders to surrender their firearms without or with expired license is part of the ‘soft hand’ approach of the OPLAN TKAL, while the service of search warrants and other police operations constitute the ‘iron hand’ approach.
Meanwhile, Dingle MPS accounted for 25 loose firearms: Calinog – 19; Bingawan and San Dionisio with 18 each; Batad – 14; Santa lBarbara – 13; Leon and Dueñas with 12 each; San Miguel, Maasin, and Banate with 10 each; Tigbauan – 9; Leganes, Igbaras, Ajuy, and Balasan with 8 each; Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, and Passi City with 7 each; Miag-ao, Zarraga, Anilao, and Barotac Viejo with 6 each; and Guimbal, New Lucena, Badiangan, Mina, Dumangas, and San Rafael with 5 each.
Tubungan, San Enrique, and Estancia have 4 surrenderers; San Joaquin 3; Alimodian, 2; and Pavia and Concepcion with one each.
