No EV cop fired gun during New Year – Soria

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
January 7, 2013

CAMP SEC. RUPERTO K. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – Nobody among the policemen in Eastern Visayas indiscriminately fired their guns on New Year.

This was the result of the gun inspection conducted this morning during the untaping of muzzles of service firearms among Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) personnel wherein none of the taped muzzles showed signs of being tampered.

Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) director Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria presided over the activity at the regional headquarters and he expressed satisfaction over the compliance of his men on the directive of the Philippine National Police (PNP) regarding the use of guns on New Year.

“A broken tape found upon inspection could be an indication that the firearm was used during the holiday revelry. This only indicates that none of the firearm holders indiscriminately fired their guns in welcoming year 2013,” Soria said.

The regional director earlier led his men in the annual sealing of gun muzzles last December 29, 2012.

“The 100% compliance to our directive only showed the honesty and professionalism of our policemen”, the top police official said, adding that similar inspection was also conducted in city and provincial police offices regionwide.

Soria earlier warned that policemen who will fire their guns inappropriately will face both criminal and administrative charges and can be dismissed from service if found to had violated the gun policy.

Meanwhile, Soria ordered a thorough investigation on the indiscriminate firing inside the V&G Subdivision in Tacloban City during New Year celebration wherein stray bullet pierced through the roof of one Elvira Cosca.

Cosca reported to the police that while her family was welcoming the New Year, they heard a loud noise from the roof and upon checking, they noticed a hole on their ceiling and recovered a slug of unknown caliber under their sala set.

Soria assured that an investigation is on-going on the matter as the recovered slug was already brought to the Regional Crime Laboratory for ballistic examination.

The regional director earlier disclosed that no victim of stray bullet was reported to his office as a result of New Year revelry.

In other parts of the country, various sectors are calling for tougher laws and stricter gun control following the death of 7-year old Stephanie Nicole Ella owing to a stray bullet from a celebratory gunfire during the New Year revelry in Caloocan City and the death of seven people and wounding of 6 others in a shooting rampage by drug-crazed gunman Ronald Bae in Kawit, Cavite on Friday.