The Philippine National Police (PNP) will conduct a nationwide verification and accounting of firearms as part of the security measures for the 2025 midterm national and local elections.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the priority of the verification and accounting are gun owners under Type 5 classifications, or those who were allowed to own at least 15 firearms.
“Our Civil Security Group (CSG) has already started sending letters to the Type 5 gun owners. They will be the priority of the nationwide verification and accounting and they are numbering to around 2,000,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said the CSG initiative is part of the efforts to account for all the licensed firearms as part of the election security.
She said this is different from the PNP’s “Oplan Katok” since it focuses on the firearms with expired licenses while the new CSG initiative is more on the verification of registered firearms.
“We know that one of the election risk factors that we have identified that somehow influences the conduct of the election is the loose firearms, although the subject here is license owners. The holders of Type 5 licenses will be prioritized,” said Fajardo.
Aside from the letter that will be sent to Type 5 registered owners, Fajardo said the CSG has already issued a public advisory relating to its program, which she said, is based on the Republic Act10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
“Thus verification and accounting initiative is being conducted in preparation for the forthcoming National and Local election 2025, as well as the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) Parliamentary Election to promote public order and safety for the general public and electorate,” the CSG advisory.
Once the verification on Type 5 Gun holders is done, the CSG will shift to Type 4 firearms holders down to Type 1 gun owners.
Fajardo explained that the letter from the CSG will serve as an advisory to the concerned gun owners to be available for the accounting and verification.
She said the verification will be done by uniformed PNP personnel from the regional CSG units.