BUTUAN CITY – Field units of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13) seized 584 loose firearms and 46 explosives from January to June this year.
“Of the firearms confiscated, 554 are classified as small arms, while 30 as light weapons consisting of pistols, revolvers, modified shotguns, and carbines,” the agency said in a report Friday.
PRO-13 said that out of the total firearms, 482 were voluntarily surrendered by gun owners, 45 were yielded by members of the communist New People’s Army, and the rest were confiscated during search warrant executions and police operations.
During the same period, 20 individuals were arrested while serving search warrants, and 29 others were apprehended during police response operations as part of the intensified drive.
Charges for violation of Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act were already filed against the arrested suspects.
“As we proceed to the remaining months of 2024, may these accomplishments reflect our continuing efforts to curb crimes involving loose firearms,” PRO-13 Director Alan Nazarro said in a statement on Friday.
He also called on the residents in the region to support the intensified drive against loose firearms. (PNA)
