PNP chief gets 50 guns from 16 Abra politicians

By Dexter A. See

BANGUED, Abra – Director-General Nicanor A. Bartolome and other ranking officials of the Philippine National Police received around 40 high-powered licensed firearms and 10 loose guns that were recently turned over by 16 incumbent and former politicians of the province  at the Abra provincial police office grounds Wednesday morning.

Bartolome, together with Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong, , regional director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, Senior Supt. Roberto Q. Soriano, PRO-COR deputy regional director for operations and Task Force Abra head, and Senior Supt. Alexander Rafael, provincial director of the Abra provincial police office, received the turned over licensed and unlicensed firearms which is considered a giant step towards achieving peaceful and orderly elections in the province during the May 2013 local elections.

“Let this gesture of our politicians be the beginning of our relentless efforts to convince other politicians and individuals to voluntarily surrender their licensed or unlicensed firearms in support of our peacekeeping efforts,” Bartolomesaid , adding doors of the PNP headquarters are open for those interested to turnover their firearms.

Magalong disclosed the turned over firearms were composed of 38 rifles and 2 pistols with four of them having defaced serial numbers.

“We are happy that our politicians in Abra are now heeding our constant appeal for them to surrender their licensed and unlicensed firearms for the benefit of lasting peace in the province,” Magalong told Manila Standard, underscoring that the turnover of licensed and unlicensed firearms by politicians to law enforcers is a product of their constant dialogue and consultations with the local officials provincewide for them to adhere to the rule of law.

La Paz Mayor Joseph Sto. Nino B. bernos turned over the most number of licensed firearms with 7 followed by Bangued Mayor Ryan Seares Luna with 5 while Boliney Mayor Ronald Balao-as surrendered 4 rifles with defaced serial numbers.

Former Rep. Cecilia Seares Luna, her son punong barangays JendricksSeares Luna and San Juan Mayor Marco M. Bautista surrendered three firearms each to the police in support of the national government’s goal of achieving lasting peace in the province in the coming elections.

Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin, Vice-Governor Rolando D. Somera¸Dolores Mayor Robert Victor G. Seares¸Langiden Mayor Noel P. Castillo and Punong Barangay Dominique B. Valera also turned over to police authorities two firearms each in compliance to the call for Abrenians to surrender their licensed and unlicensed firearms in order to achieve lasting peace.

Those who surrendered one firearm each were Baay-Licuan Mayor Christopher L. Millare, Lagangilang Mayor Patrocinio B. Baya, Malibcong Mayor Benido G. Bacuyag, Lacob Mayor Jun Barona and Tineg Mayor Edwin B. Crisologo, Sr..

In exchange for the surrendered license firarms, Magalong explained the politicians who surrendered their licensed firearms and those who will surrender their licensed firearms in the future will be provided with two uniformed police escorts who will act as their close in security in order to reduce the employment of private armed groups (PAGs) to act as the security personnel of politicians that might aggravate the gains of the police in an effort to establish lasting peace in the province.

“Instead of wasting our time and resources for aggressive and unrelenting police operations just to recover the loose firearms in the country, we are grateful that there are politicians who voluntarily surrender their guns to show their commitment to our campaign for lasting peace, especially in Abra,” Bartolome added, saying the licensed firearms will be returned to the owners one month after the conduct of the May 2013 elections while the loose guns will remain with the PNP until the opening of another amnesty so that the owners could apply for their respective licenses.

Bersamin urged politicians and individuals in the province to follow their footsteps by also surrendering their licensed and unlicensed guns before the conduct of next year’s elections so that people in the province will not be subjected to intimidation and harassment through the use of guns.

“Abrenians should freely decide who will lead them in next year’s elections. Let us make the surrender of our firearms serious,” Bersamin stressed, noting that the turned over guns should already be donated to the PNP instead of being returned to the owners since it could be used for other purposes in the future.