ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Shooting incidents in Western Visayas dropped by 52.38% over the past three months, with police logging only 10 gun-related cases in October, according to the latest data from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) attributed the sharp decline to aggressive regional campaigns targeting loose and unregistered firearms, specifically Project Restrict, Track-Turn-in (RTT) 3389 and Project TALA (Tracking, Accounting, and LAwful Disposition of Firearms with Expired Registration).
Police records show a steady monthly decrease, with shooting incidents falling from 21 in August to 16 in September, and finally down to 10 in October—representing an 11-incident reduction over the two-month span.
PRO-6 Director Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño noted that the downward trend supports the national PNP directive prioritizing the confiscation of unlicensed weapons and the apprehension of repeat offenders.
“This significant decline in shooting incidents reflects the positive results of sustained efforts to address the proliferation of loose firearms, supported by the cooperation of local governments and communities,” Tuaño said.
“This is precisely what we want to achieve—to take loose firearms out of our communities and prevent them from being used in shootings and other acts of violence. The figures show that our efforts are moving in the right direction,” he added.
Key Regional Initiatives
- Project RTT 3389: Anchored on a “One Barangay, One Firearm” concept, this initiative encourages all 3,389 barangays in the region to surrender at least one loose firearm. As of November 4, the region accumulated 4,013 voluntarily surrendered firearms.
- Project TALA: Launched on October 15 to account for firearms with expired registrations, PRO-6 successfully processed 18,306 out of 27,114 identified records—achieving a 68% accomplishment rate by November 5. This included serving 11,076 notices to gun owners.
Tuaño credited the milestone to the active participation of local government units, barangay officials, and local residents.
“We could not have achieved these milestones without the support of our LGUs, barangay officials, and the public,” Tuaño stated. “Every firearm voluntarily surrendered is a potential source of danger removed from our communities. Through Project TALA, we are also strengthening our ability to account for and monitor firearms with expired registrations, ensuring that appropriate measures are taken.”