PNoy distributes brand new pistols to PNP officers

 News
Jul 012013
 
PNoy distributes brand new pistols to PNP officers

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday led the distribution of 22,603 pistols to Philippine National Police (PNP) officers as part of the government’s effort to arm each police officer in the country with a handgun.   Glock 17 9mm automatic pistol Aquino, himself a gun enthusiast, handed the brand-new Glock 17 Generation 4 pistols to some PNP officers in turnover ceremonies at the National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. According to the PNP, each pistol was bought for P16,569, much lower than its current retail price of P40,940. The PNP said the government was able to save P200 million for the handguns. According to the Glock website, the Glock 17 is the “world’s most popular pistol.” The unit specifically given to PNP officers has a reversible enlarged magazine catch and a dual recoil spring assembly, among other features. The pistols distributed by the President were part of the 74,879 handguns procured by the PNP as part of the P1-billion contract signed last September to fully fill up the handgun requirements of the police force. The handgun contract was signed last year after the PNP and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officials faced a Senate inquiry for a plan to procure allegedly overpriced assault rifles. The PNP eventually aborted the rifle deal.  — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News 

Biometrics among added requirements for gun permit from PNP

 News
Jun 272013
 
Biometrics among added requirements for gun permit from PNP

Licensed gun owners applying for permits to carry firearms outside their homes may have to comply with added requirements, including biometrics samples, the Philippine National Police said Thursday. “All licensed gun-owners applying for gun-carrying privileges are now required to personally submit their biometric fingerprint specimen and photograph as mandatory requirements for issuance of (PTCFOR),” it said. The PNP said the new administrative requirements will be used for adjusting records in the Firearms Information Management System (FIMS) database. Such adjustments aim to “further improve the processes in the issuance of firearms licenses and permits.” For his part, PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac said these processes also seek to boost the campaign against “delinquent gun owners and those in possession of loose firearms.” Meanwhile, the PNP said it will continue to implement Oplan “Katok” or house visits on licensed gun owners, to verify the current status of the guns and its registered owners. In the last six months, the PNP conducted 464,996 house visits on registered gun owners with expired licenses, to remind them to update their firearms records.  — ELR, GMA News

CA affirms ruling holding AFP, PNP accountable for Burgos disappearance

 News
May 272013
 
CA affirms ruling holding AFP, PNP accountable for Burgos disappearance

(Updated 5:59 p.m.) The Court of Appeals has stood firm on its earlier ruling that the military and the police should be held accountable for the enforced disappearance of political activist Jonas Burgos in 2007. In a resolution penned by Associate Justice Rosalinda Asuncion-Vicente, the CA denied a motion for partial reconsideration filed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) seeking to reverse the court’s March 18 ruling holding the two agencies accountable for Burgos’ disappearance. “Suffice it… to state that this court’s finding and conclusion that [Burgos] was abducted by a group of persons, one of whom was positively identified as Maj. Harry Baliaga, Jr. of the Philippine Army, coupled with the AFP’s lack of serious effort to conduct further and deeper investigation simply because [Burgos] is allegedly not in its custody, speak loudly of the leadership’s accountability,” the CA said. As for the PNP’s accountability, the appeallate court said: “In the case of the PNP, suffice it to state that its failure to rap and elicit leads and information from Jeffrey Cabintoy, who personally witnessed [the abduction] and who was able to positively identify his abductor, is eloquent proof of its failure to exercise extraordinary diligence in the conduct of its investigation.” Concurring in the latest CA decision were Associate Justices Remedios Salazar-Fernando and Franchito Diamante. In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson  Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan said “they would respect the court’s decision.”  Read More …

PNP chief: Don't vote for candidates who pay protection money to NPA

 News
Apr 302013
 
PNP chief: Don't vote for candidates who pay protection money to NPA

Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisma on Tuesday cautioned voters against voting for politicians who pay rebel groups money in exchange for the right to campaign peacefully, saying that these candidates, if elected, might squander government funds. “Actually, yung politician pag alam natin na nagbibigay sa kaaway ng gobyerno, bakit natin iboboto? Baka ipamigay lahat ng resources natin. So that is a signal for us citizens na huwag natin silang iboto,” Purisima told reporters in a chance interview following a press conference at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. The Department of Interior and Local Government also called on candidates to refrain from giving in to demands of rebel groups, particularly the National People’s Army, which has been known to extort what are called “permit to campaign” and “permit to win” fees from candidates. “Patuloy na mungkahi namin na huwag magbigay ng pera o kahit anong halaga dahil ito’y magpapalakas lang sa mga grupong ito, at maaring ipangbili pa nila ng bala ang perang makukuha para gamitin against government forces,” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II said in the press conference. A Visayas-based army general on Sunday said that half of the candidates in his area have given in to the NPA’s extortion demands. Hands tied However, Purisima admitted that legally the hands of the PNP are tied, as there is no case to be filed against those who willingly give protection money to rebel groups. “Hindi kasi kaso yung pagbibigay. Ang kaso, pag magreklamo sila ng extortion,” Purisima said. Roxas Read More …

PNP chief Purisima off to Interpol conference in France

 News
Apr 152013
 
PNP chief Purisima off to Interpol conference in France

By Jamie Elona INQUIRER.net 7:12 pm | Monday, April 15th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Philippine National Police chief, Director General Alan Purisima, left the country Monday to represent the Philippines in an annual conference of the Interpol in France that seeks to strengthen member countries in dealing with new crime challenges. Joining Purisima to attend the 9thannual heads of Interpol national central bureaus (NCBs) in Lyon, France from April 17 to 19 are Police Director Napoleon Estilles, PNP director for Plans, and Superintendent Lorenzo Eleazar of the Office of the Chief PNP. Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO The three-man PNP delegation will also attend the group discussions of regional NCBs on specific topics from a regional perspective. “It is a great honor for me to represent the country in this annual meeting among Interpol-member countries,” Purisima said. The PNP is the NCB of the Interpol in the Philippines. In his absence, Purisima designated his 2nd in command, Deputy Director General Rommel Heredia, PNP deputy chief for Administration, as officer-in-charge.

PNP: Number of Comelec gun ban violations now over 700

 News
Feb 102013
 
PNP: Number of Comelec gun ban violations now over 700

The number of violations of the Commission on Elections’ gun ban breached the 700 mark as of Sunday afternoon, the Philippine National Police said. Law enforcers have also seized more than 600 firearms and 4,000 rounds of ammunition since the ban started Jan. 13, radio dzBB’s Divine Caraecle reported. As of Sunday, the report said at least 704 violators had been arrested for violating the ban, 626 of them civilians. Other arrested violators included three soldiers, 12 PNP personnel, one Bureau of Fire Protection personnel, 11 government employees, and 50 security guards. The gun ban will remain in effect until June 12. While the gun ban is in effect, only law enforcers in uniform and on duty are allowed to carry firearms outside their homes. In general, permits to carry firearms outside residences are suspended. — LBG, GMA News

Senate approves bill regulating use of firearms, ammunition

 News
Feb 042013
 
Senate approves bill regulating use of firearms, ammunition

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to regulate the use of firearms and ammunition in the country. Senate Bill 3397 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammuition Regulation Act seeks to appeal sections of Presidential Decree 1866, a section of Republic Act 8294, and other laws, executive orders, letters of instruction, issuances, circulars, administrative orders, rules or regulations concerning firearms and ammunition. Under the measure, a person must be a Filipino citizen, at least 21 years old, has “gainful” work or business, and has filed an income tax return to qualify and acquire a license to own and possess firearms and ammunition. The applicant likewise must not be convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude and must have passed a drug test, psychiatric test, and a gun safety seminar. The bill says that permits to carry firearms outside of the residence shall be issued by the chief of the Philippine National Police or any duly authorized representative to “any qualified person whose life is under actual threat or their lives are in imminent danger due to the nature of their profession, occupation or business.” “It shall be the burden of the applicant to prove that his life is under actual threat by submitting a threat assessment certificate from the PNP,” it said. It said that the following professionals are considered to be in imminent danger due to the nature of their profession, occupation or business. members of the Philippine bar certified public accountants accredited media Read More …

Has the gun ban been effective? Comelec chief wants to know

 News
Jan 312013
 
Has the gun ban been effective? Comelec chief wants to know

With the campaign period about to start and with the spate of gun-related crimes, Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. wants to know if the implementation of the election gun ban has been effective.  On Thursday, Brillantes said he plans to meet with National Police chief Alan Purisima to “get statistics before the start of the campaign period.”  “Yun ang concern namin, kung nagkaroon ba ng effect yung checkpoints at gun ban. So before January 13 (when the gun ban was implemented), ano ba statistics dyan compared to now?” Brillantes told reporters. The poll chief said the meeting would most likely be this Saturday when Comelec holds a mock elections at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City. The campaign period for national candidates starts February 12. On the other hand, the campaign period for local candidates starts March 30.  Growing crime rate During the same interview, Brillantes said a growing crime rate is everybody’s concern whether it is election period or not. “Kasi may nagsasabi na naha-highlight ito dahil may gun ban at may checkpoints. Pero sa akin, it does not matter what is highlighted or not,” he said. Asked if the poll body is planning to amend its gun ban resolution because of the recent incidents, Brillantes said there is no plan yet but they will definitely look into the statistics. “We will have to wait for actual statistics. Wala naman kaming empirical record dito to determine kung ano ang tama kaya lang naha-highlight dahil may gun ban Read More …

15-year-old latest violator of election gun ban

 News
Jan 272013
 
15-year-old latest violator of election gun ban

A 15-year-old boy was the latest violator of an ongoing election gun ban meant to minimize violence during the period leading to the May 13 elections. The minor, whose identity was withheld, was caught at a checkpoint on Gladiola Street in Makati City, radio dzBB’s Manny Vargas reported Monday. He yielded a cal-.45 pistol with six bullets, and was turned over to the local Department of Social Welfare and Development office. As this developed, the Philippine National Police said at least 263 people have been arrested in the first two weeks of the election gun ban. Most of the violators were civilians while at least six were from the PNP, according to a separate report on dzBB radio early Monday. The report said that of the 263 arrested, 229 were civilians, five were government employees, and six were PNP personnel while 22 were security guards. At least 227 firearms were seized, along with 60 bladed weapons and 18 grenades and explosives. Law enforcers started implementing an election gun ban last Jan. 13. The gun ban lasts until June 12. During the gun ban, permits to carry firearms outside residences are generally suspended, and only law enforcers in uniform and on duty are allowed to carry firearms outside their homes. —KG, GMA News

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