Cebu City Police Office deputy chief for operations, Lt. Col. Janette Rafter. (PNA file photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – The Cebu City police on Wednesday secured 15 search warrants against individuals who have owned firearms without proper documents.
Lt. Col. Janette Rafter, Cebu City Police Office deputy chief for operations, said serving the warrants to the subjects who have in their possession undocumented firearms is part of the campaign against unregistered guns amid continued preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30.
Rafter said five of the 15 search warrants have already been served to the personalities, who are now facing charges of violation of Republic Act 10591 or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.”
Those whose licenses to own and possess firearms ( LTOPFs) are expiring, she said, should process the renewal on time to avoid being inconvenienced when the police raid their homes and seize their guns.
"Please, we are appealing to you to please surrender your firearms in the meantime that you are processing your documents. We will ensure its safety so you can get it anytime from the police station near you or at any police unit that you’ve trusted for safekeeping,” the official told reporters.
Rafter, who is also the spokesperson of Cebu City police chief, Col. Ireneo Dalogdog, said the intensified operations against loose firearms are also part of their effort to deter shooting incidents in the city.
“This will not just up to the election. So, this will be a continuing process because we are relentless in our campaign against loose firearms, especially in Cebu City,” she said, citing recent shooting incidents where the perpetrators used unregistered guns. (PNA)
