CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—More civilians are armed than the members of the Philippine National Police in Central Luzon, according to records from the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Division.
About 137,000 people have licensed and registered firearms in the region and authorities are monitoring them to ensure that they apply for re-registration once their licenses expire.
Acting Central Luzon Police Chief Ronald Santos says the figure includes police personnel who have applied for licenses for their firearms.
“Members of the PNP are not exempted from the law on firearms,” Santos said.
“We can be charged with illegal possession, and only in the Philippines are policemen not allowed to carry firearms.”
Santos says the big number of firearms licensees in Central Luzon will not pose problems to the peace and order situation, but once an owner fails to renew or re-register his firearm it’s another issue because it will be included in the list of loose guns.
“We have all the data on the licensed firearm holders in Region 3 and it will be easy for us to identify them should they fail to re-register,” said Supt. Ray De Peralta, head of Firearms and Explosives Division.
The Police Regional Office 3 has 10,000 personnel but some don’t even have service handguns that were either personally acquired or issued by the PNP.
The bulk of the firearms license holders are businessmen, politicians, security and detective agencies and private individuals.
Come the 2016 elections, Santos says, the police will not be encountering difficulties tracking down people and politicians with expired gun licenses.
De Peralta says members of the PNP are not exempted from the licensing rule.
“Even policemen must apply for a license to own and possess. They have to apply for a license,” De Peralta said.
He says licensed firearms that are not re-registered upon expiry are considered loose firearms, and their holders will be held liable criminally for illegal possession.
