GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/25 January) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has released more than 5,000 provisional permits to gun holders in Region 12 (Southwestern Mindanao) who earlier availed of the government’s firearms amnesty program.[]
Chief Insp. Romeo Galgo Jr., firearms, explosives, security agencies and guards section chief of PNP Region 12, said Tuesday they issued the provisional or temporary licenses pending the ongoing official registration of all firearms that were covered by the amnesty.
In Region 12, he said the PNP central office approved the issuance of temporary licenses for 5,107 firearms out of the 5,867 applications from the area.
Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
Galgo said most of the temporary licenses were approved last September and are valid for one year or until the release of the permanent licenses or registrations.
He said they have so far delivered some 3,000 temporary licenses to police units in the region to facilitate their release to the gun holders.
Galgo pointed out that the provisional firearms licenses do not allow their holders to carry or bring them outside their residences.[]
