BUTUAN CITY – The chief of the Police Regional Office-13 (PRO-13) on Thursday called on gun owners in the region to surrender their firearms with expired registrations.
This after the Accounting and Disposition of Firearms with Expired Registration (ADFER) reported that only 2,813 of the 6,381 firearms with lapsed registration are accounted for in the Caraga Region as of July 1 this year.
“I encourage all gun holders to adhere to the provisions of the Republic Act No. 10591, or the law that regulates the ownership, possession, carrying, manufacture, dealing in, and importation of firearms and ammunition in the country,” Brig. Gen. John Kirby Kraft, Caraga Region police director, said in a statement.
“The ADFER was conducted in preparation for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) slated for October this year,” he added.
He added that security preparations are already set in relation to the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy and the campaign period for the coming BSKE.
Among the provinces in the region, Agusan del Sur logged the highest number of reported loose firearms with 767, followed by Surigao del Norte with 705, according to the police provincial offices (PPOs).
The ADFER report also indicated that 500 loose firearms were accounted for by the Butuan City Police Office, Surigao del Sur PPO with 397, Agusan del Norte PPO with 336, and Dinagat Islands PPO with 108. (PNA)
