Can Samar province, long known for its history of political killings and armed groups, finally achieve a "peaceful" 2025 polls?
At least that's what officials in this province are hoping for as they bet on a campaign urging residents to surrender illegally owned firearms.
Governor Sharee Ann Tan appealed to town police chiefs and village officials to support the campaign by urging gun owners to heed to the call of surrendering their unlicensed firearms including those with expired licenses.
“This is to avoid untoward incidents, because sometimes when the election is near or during election time, people, political rivalry aggravates triggering the use of firearms, leading to an unfortunate incident,” Tan said during a gathering Thursday, January 16, at the Provincial Capitol compound in Catbalogan City.
During the event, a total of 43 surrendered firearms, 30 for safekeeping, and 393 improvised firearms were presented.
These firearms were turned over to 16 of the 24 police stations and two mobile force companies in Samar province.
The governor thanked the police officers for their relentless efforts in promoting peace and order in the province.
“I would also like to thank our chiefs of police and police officers for your efforts. If not for you, this program would not have materialized. No matter how much we push this in the province, there is only so much that we can do.”
The governor also thanked the civilians, saying, “Thank you for responding positively to this program. This act of surrendering firearms only means that you have no ill intention in using them.”
Samar police provincial director, Col. Antoneitto Eric Mendoza, said the “Balik Armas” program serves as a platform to encourage individuals, particularly those in conflict-affected and remote areas, to voluntarily surrender unregistered or loose firearms.
This is an initiative of the Samar police provincial office to promote responsible firearm ownership and reduce the proliferation of illegal firearms, which are often linked to crimes and violence.
The program is a critical step toward achieving a safer and more peaceful Samar. By voluntarily surrendering loose firearms, we are one step closer to preventing violence and building stronger communities,” Mendoza said.
Surrendered firearms will undergo ballistic examination to check if these were used in any crime-related incidents, according to the official.
(With report from PNA)
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