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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Normal police duty: Marbil says 'Oplan Katok' to continue amid election intimidation concerns

Normal police duty: Marbil says 'Oplan Katok' to continue amid election intimidation concerns

Published Jan 30, 2025 05:54 am

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will continue its campaign against firearms with expired licenses amid concerns from officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that the “Oplan Katok” could be used as an instrument for intimidation for the midterm polls.

PNP chief, Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said he will discuss the basic principles of Oplan Katok to the Comelec as he stressed that such a move is intended to account for all guns with expired licenses. 

“This (Oplan Katok) is a normal PNP duty. The purpose is to account for all the firearms because the cause of violence is firearms,” said Marbil.

Marbil explained that the Oplan Katok, wherein policemen would visit the house of registered gun owners with expired licenses, to remind them to renew and to surrender them while the registration is being processed.

Firearms with expired licenses are considered loose guns and could put the delinquent owners into legal troubles. 

The apprehensions appeared to have been rooted to the infamous anti-illegal drugs campaign using the same strategy. 

But for Marbil, only delinquent gun owners are visited by the police and not those with updated registration.

In 2023, the PNP reported that there are more than 500,000 firearms with expired licenses in the country. 

What concerns the PNP, according to Marbil, is that loose firearms, including those with expired licenses and those who were lost by the owners, are being used in election-related violence. 

He then emphasized the need to continuously implement as part of the election security measures for the May 12 elections. 

“We will discuss this with the (Comelec) Chairman… it (Oplan Katok) is not prohibited even during elections because that’s a normal police duty,” said Marbil.

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