Anti-criminality sweep nets firearms, violators
‘Our campaign against illegal firearms will be relentless.’
Metro Manila police officers seized 86 illegal firearms and arrested 83 individuals during a weeklong operation targeting loose weapons across the capital region, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) reported Sunday.
The NCRPO said its five constituent police districts conducted 81 operations from 15 to 21 October.
NCRPO officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Christopher N. Abrahano ordered police commanders to maintain the momentum of the crackdown following a 22 October shootout in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig City, where two armed suspects were killed after opening fire on officers during an Oplan Sita checkpoint.
The recovered firearms have been turned over for ballistic examination and forensic testing to determine whether they were utilized in prior violent crimes.
Abrahano instructed all police districts to intensify Oplan Bakal and Oplan Sita operations to boost police visibility in high-risk areas and intercept illegal arms shipments.
“Our campaign against illegal firearms will be relentless,” Abrahano said. “We will not allow these weapons to circulate unchecked in our communities and become instruments of robbery, shootings, and other violent crimes.”
“I expect every police district to sustain its operations, pursue every validated lead, and hold those who illegally possess firearms accountable under the law. Every weapon we lawfully take off the streets is a step toward preventing violence and protecting lives,” he added.