Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — A total of 25 high-powered firearms and explosives were formally turned over to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday by Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) advisory chairman Jesus Martinez.</p><p>Martinez, also a businessman from Davao City, said he decided to surrender the weapons, some of which date back to the 1980s, after reviewing his own records as part of his duties in the PNP advisory council.</p><p>“Kung ma-remember niyo mga 1980s, nagkaroon tayo ng amnesty for loose firearms. Kami, nasa Maguindanao del Sur, alam naman natin na during that time may mga giyera, so halos lahat ng civilians may firearms,” Martinez recalled.</p><p>“Nagka-amnesty, nagpa-license tayo. ‘Yung iba, nawala na ‘yung records. Then, naging chairman tayo ng IMEG, kaya gusto ko maging example na sana sumabay na rin ‘yung ibang advisory council ng PNP.”</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:672px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1998221777378668547&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring&amp;sessionId=429c980dbfde209868e1cfabbd64c5d630316818&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1998221777378668547"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div> </div><p>Among the surrendered items were high-performance rifles, shotguns, submachine guns, fragmentation grenades, and assorted ammunition.</p><p>Maj. Gen. Wilson Joseph Lopez, PNP Director for Intelligence, said the cache would go through an adjudication process to determine their final status under police custody.</p><p>“Para through a resolution, magiging pag-aari na ng PNP. But here comes the disposal committee, siya naman ang magde-determine, kung hindi na pwedeng mapakinabangan, idi-de-militarize. Or kung puwede pa siyang gamitin ng PNP, or it could be donated to other agencies,” Lopez explained.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/8/ex-pnp-officers-found-guilty-of-graft-in-ak-47-rifle-scam-1619">Ex-PNP officers found guilty of graft over illegal rifle licenses</a></div><p>The PNP Forensic Group will also conduct ballistic examinations on the firearms to check if any of them match evidence from unsolved crimes.</p><p>Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. welcomed the surrender, saying it supports the police force’s intensified campaign to recover hundreds of thousands of loose firearms nationwide.</p><p>“Sa focus agenda natin, one is sa illegal drugs and of course sa firearms kasi itong dalawa, these are the denominators of crimes at halos lahat ng crimes natin itong dalawa ang ginagamit,” Nartatez noted.</p><p>“That’s why we are accounting all of the still loose firearms at saka lalong lalo na ang illegal firearms, ‘yung mga unregistered so we’ve been moving around,” he added.</p><p>Nartatez said community participation, especially from PNP advisory groups and local stakeholders, is crucial in reducing illegal weapons in circulation.</p><p>“If we can have it surrendered, mas maganda kaysa pupunta pa tayo doon para mag-operate at mag-apply for search warrant.”</p><p>He also assured the public that proper documentation, chain-of-custody procedures, and ballistic comparison will be strictly followed.</p><p>Firearms found to have no criminal links will then be forwarded to the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) for disposition.</p><p>Martinez expressed hope that his gesture would encourage others—especially those in positions of influence—to comply with the law and help promote peace and security.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/25/man-arrested-in-makati-for-illegal-sale-possession-of-firearm-1727">Man arrested in Makati for illegal sale, possession of firearm</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aWQgtRCk_IY?si=q2GpzL6C4qkXZFDW" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>A total of 25 high-powered firearms and explosives were formally turned over to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday by Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) advisory chairman Jesus Martinez.</p>

A total of 25 high-powered firearms and explosives were formally turned over to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday by Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) advisory chairman Jesus Martinez.

25 high-powered firearms, explosives surrendered to PNP by IMEG advisory chair

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25 high-powered firearms, explosives surrendered to PNP by IMEG advisory chair

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 09, 2025 12:42 PM PHT

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