LINGAYEN–Here is a serious cause for concern. There is an estimated one million loose firearms all over the country, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Speaking during a press conference here on May 23, Verzosa said about half of these weapons are unregistered while the rest have expired licenses.

Verzosa, who arrived for the inauguration of the ‘Mamang Pulis Sevice Store’, cited the findings of the national summit for firearms control held recently at Camp Crame that also reported that the Philippines ranks 10th in the world for the number of gun-related homicides based on data from the World Health Organization.

“In the incidence of crime, of the percentage for the gun-related incidents, 97.7 percent is through the use of loose firearms,” he said.

The police chief acknowledged that efforts need to be doubled to address the problem of loose firearms to curb crime incidents.

He further said that this is particularly urgent with the local and national elections just 11 months away.

In Pangasinan, there are numerous unresolved cases of shootings including the murder of prominent personalities and politicians by hired killers presumably using loose firearms.

Verzosa said the PNP has laid out a program against loose firearms that include amendment of the firearm law, limiting the number of authorized security personnel of VIPs and other gun-holders during the election period, and establishing gun-free zones in urban areas and in major tourist spots.

He also cited the need to strengthen legislation for the imposition of stiffer penalties against the possession of illegal firearms.#

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