Iloilo city: The intensified campaign launched by the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) led to the voluntary surrender of 858 loose firearms in just over two months, from May 15 until the end of July this year.

According to Philippines News Agency, the firearms were recovered under the Project Restrict, Track and Turn-in (RTT), a PRO-6 initiative that promotes the lawful and voluntary surrender of undocumented or unregistered firearms. Under the project, police units coordinated with barangay officials, local government units, and other community partners to identify undocumented firearms and encourage their voluntary surrender.

Col. Adrian Acollador, PRO-6 Regional Operations Division chief, emphasized in a briefing that this initiative promotes responsible ownership, prevents the use of firearms in criminal activities, and strengthens public trust. Of the surrendered firearms, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (PPO) accounted for the highest accomplishment with 410, followed by Antique PPO with 129, Aklan PPO with 97, Capiz PPO with 95, Iloilo City Police Office with 59, Guimaras PPO with 11, and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 with 57.

PRO-6 director Brig. Gen. Randulf Tua±o highlighted that the 858 firearms represent more than just statistics; each one voluntarily surrendered signifies a potential crime prevented, a life protected, and a step towards safer homes and more peaceful communities throughout Western Visayas. He also noted that the campaign for the voluntary surrender of loose firearms is part of their proactive approach, where charges are not filed against owners as part of the negotiation.

In June this year alone, a total of 3,429 loose firearms were presented at the regional headquarters, with 3,254 already turned over by police units to the Regional Forensic Unit 6 for ballistic examination. The remaining 175 firearms from Capiz PPO are scheduled for turnover upon the completion of the RFU 6 visit.