BAGUIO CITY — The Police Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (PROCAR) disclosed on Friday that its operatives recovered 1,151 firearms in 1,202 police operations conducted from 1 January to 31 December 2024.

PROCAR information officer Col. Carolina Lacuata revealed that 81 firearms were confiscated, 32 were recovered, and 1,038 were voluntarily surrendered by their owners or possessors.

“This demonstrates the public’s belief in the importance of a peaceful community, with undocumented firearms being surrendered to police custody to prevent their unlawful use,” Lacuata said.

She attributed the high surrender rate to the continued implementation of the Philippine National Police’s “Oplan Katok” program. This initiative encourages firearm owners to renew their licenses or surrender their weapons to police custody pending renewal or if they choose not to obtain a legal permit.

“Firearms with expired licenses are considered loose firearms,” Lacuata said. “Possession of an expired license can result in charges for illegal possession of firearms.”

Records show 82 individuals were arrested and 77 cases were filed during the period.

Abra had the highest number of recovered firearms with 388, followed by Benguet with 158, Kalinga with 144, Ifugao with 132, Mountain Province with 128, Baguio City with 113 and Apayao with 88.