CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) — The Police Regional Office IV-A has urged candidates and supporters of the May 2025 national and local elections to temporarily surrender their firearms for safekeeping as part of efforts to prevent untoward incidents.
“We encourage candidates and supporters to deposit their firearms for safekeeping. We follow the command of our chief (Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil) to deposit all firearms in the Regional Office, including those deposited in police stations,” said Brig. Gen. Paul Kenneth Lucas, Police Director for Calabarzon, during the Philippine Information Agency’s Sulong Calabarzon program.
According to Lucas, a total of 3,300 firearms are now under the safekeeping of PRO IV-A’s Regional Civil Security Unit.
He explained that the PNP’s firearms safekeeping program covers candidates, their supporters and relatives, including individuals with expired Licenses to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF) and firearms registration.
The program is under IMPLAN FEEL SAFER which stands for Firearms and Explosives from Candidates, Supporters, Kin, and Juridical Entities for Safekeeping and Disposal – an Effort Leading to a Secure, Accurate, and Fair Election.
Aside from firearms safekeeping, PRO IV-A is also implementing various initiatives aimed at preventing election-related violent incidents, such as the establishment of Tagapamayapa or peacemaker teams, and the Tagapag-ugnay initiative for candidates’ security.
He emphasized that the purpose of the Tagapamayapa team is to mediate tensions in areas or prevent conflicts from escalating, while the Tagapag-ugnay initiative involves police officers acting as liaison officers to candidates, not just incumbents, but also those running for Sangguniang Bayan positions.
Lucas explained that liaison police, or Tagapag-ugnay, will focus on the security of each candidate, especially during campaigns, ensuring that activities run smoothly and without incident.
The revitalized Oplan Katok, on the other hand, is another effort of PRO IV-A for the upcoming elections. It involves door-to-door visits to track down individuals illegally possessing firearms.
“For Oplan Katok, police officers visit the home addresses of individuals who haven’t renewed their firearms licenses. They will request the surrender of their firearms or assist in renewing them,” he explained.
Lucas also reminded the public that unregistered firearms will be considered loose firearms if these remain unrenewed after three notices and will then be subjected to confiscation.
As of April 6, 2025, according to a post on the Police Regional Office 4A Facebook page, PRO IV-A’s efforts against loose firearms have led to the arrest of 20 individuals and the confiscation of 55 firearms. (KA, PIA4A)
