PNP chief Carlos vows zero tolerance on indiscriminate firing

Philippine National Police chief Police General Dionardo Carlos on Wednesday vowed that his leadership will not tolerate the indiscriminate firing of firearms.

The newly appointed PNP chief made the commitment in a joint committee hearing on bills increasing the penalty for indiscriminate firing of firearms.

“The PNP leadership will be very strict in the implementation of our policy on non-firing, especially during the season and if our personnel violated it, we will be very strict and make them answer from the wrongdoing immediately,” Carlos said.

He said that one of the measures to achieve zero incidence of indiscriminate firing among their ranks is to deploy policemen to their own communities.

“This is what we plan to do, send them to their communities but they will be performing their duties as police officer, [it’s like] hitting two birds with one stone,” he said.

“They are with their families but at the same time they are serving that community not just in the headquarters or the regional headquarters. That is a very good practice of making sure that our policemen are adhering to the policy [against] indiscriminate firing or firing their firearms,” he added.

Carlos told the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs committee chairman, former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, that he is following the latter's policy on indiscriminate firing of firearms during his stint as the country’s top cop.

Dela Rosa recalled that in 2017, the PNP achieved zero firearm-related incidents, injury or death.

The legislator urged Carlos to institutionalize the practice together with the proposed measures being tackled by the committee.

“Napakaganda po ‘yon, dapat ma-institutionalize ang practice na ‘yon with this proposed measure. Lalong matatakot ang mga gun holders na gumawa ng indiscriminate firing. I suggest i-continue niyo ‘yon dahil that was really an amazing feat na zero tayo,” Dela Rosa said.

(That was a really good practice and we should institutionalize it with this proposed measure. The gun holders will be afraid to do indiscriminate firing. I suggest you continue that because that was an amazing feat that we had zero cases of indiscriminate firing.)

Carlos also told the Senate panel that part of his policy is the suspension of the immediate supervisor if a subordinate has committed indiscriminate firing.

The Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs joint with Justice and Human Rights has approved Senate Bill 1531 and House Bill 6123 at the committee level.

SB 1531 seeks to increase the penalty for discharge of firearms and provide a clear definition of indiscriminate firing and its corresponding penalties. — BM, GMA News