PNP camps, satellite offices in malls open on weekends for gun registration
Starting June 10, the registration of firearms at Camp Crame in Quezon City and some of the Civil Security Group (CSG) units and satellite offices in the provinces will be open during Saturdays and Sundays in a bid to register over 500,000 guns with expired licenses across the country.
Based on the PNP data, there are 2.1 million registered firearms in the Philippines but 25 percent of them, which is around 539,000 have expired licenses.
CSG director Police Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo said the move was the instruction of PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr. as part of the efforts to account for all loose firearms across the country, especially on the days leading to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October this year.
“The first consideration in doing this is that we understand that there are a lot of gun owners who have no time to register because they are in the offices working during weekdays,” said Silo.
“So this will be the opportunity for them to do so. Our office at Camp Crame, along with our CSG offices and satellite offices like in SM malls, will be open for them on Saturdays and Sundays,” he added.
And based on the instruction of Acorda, Silo said this will push through even after the barangay and SK elections.
Citing PNP data, Silo disclosed that Metro Manila has the most firearms with expired licenses with 211,000, followed by Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) with 108,000 and Central Luzon with 63,000.
The PNP has been warning gun owners that licensed firearms are considered as loose firearms and possession of them is tantamount to violating the law, specifically on illegal possession of firearms.
One of the measures implemented to protect gun owners is for them to surrender their guns to the nearest police stations until such time that the licenses are released.
“We really had to intensify our drive to encourage the public, especially gun holders to renew their expired licenses,” said Silo.