THE National Police is closely coordinating with the Judiciary the turnover of confiscated firearms that have been submitted as evidence in court for the possible use of its members.

Director General Avelino Razon Jr., National Police chief, said some of the seized firearms may be issued to police units and personnel to fill their requirement for handguns, shotguns and rifles.

“Confiscated firearms submitted as evidence may be withdrawn upon termination of the court proceedings with the permission of the judicial authorities in accordance with Supreme Court Memorandum Circular 47-98,” Razon said.

He noted the effort of the Ilocos police under Chief Supt. Romeo Hilomen to retrieve 142 confiscated firearms that have been submitted as evidence in court after the termination of court proceedings.

In his report to Razon, Hilomen said a total of 1,456 different types of firearms have been submitted as evidence in various courts in the Ilocos.

The National Police spokesman, Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, said the move of the force to account for all firearms submitted as court evidence was a part of its overall campaign on gun control, particularly against loose firearms.

“The National Police campaign to account for loose firearms is gaining significant headway as a result of relentless police action and aggressive police operations,” he said.

Bartolome added the seized firearms could become National Police’s property.

“When these loose firearms eventually become National Police property, these can be issued to police units and personnel that are in need of such equipment,” Bartolome said.

A one-year nationwide amnesty for the registration of loose firearms is in effect until November.

The National Police earlier purchased thousands of handguns for its members but estimates show that almost half of the 120,000 force do have issued weapons.

HSBC: Inflation could reach 8.5%

INFLATION could be as high as 8.5 percent between now and June, according to the regional chief economist of the global lender HSBC on Tuesday.

MILITANT groups on Tuesday filed before the Ombudsman a complaint against officials of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for alleged price manipulation.

SANDIGANBAYAN sheriffs backed by policemen on Tuesday failed to locate former justice secretary Hernando Perez, his wife Rosario and brother in law Ramon Arceo, who were ordered arrested by the antigraft court on graft, extortion and other charges.

EIGHT out of the 24 hospitals that perform kidney transplantation in the country have violated the law that limits the number of such procedure done on foreigners, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

CITY OF MALOLOS—Several security guards and a mining operator in Bulacan on Tuesday filed several cases against retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and several others before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in this city.

THE National Police is closely coordinating with the Judiciary the turnover of confiscated firearms that have been submitted as evidence in court for the possible use of its members.

A COURT martial ordered on Tuesday the discharge from the service of five junior officers it found to have violated the Articles of War in connection with their participation in the Oakwood mutiny in Makati City almost five years ago.