The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Oriental welcomed the announcement of President Benigno Aquino III in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday that by 2013 all policemen will have short firearms.
Aquino said by 2013, 74,600 short firearms will be distributed to police personnel who have no firearms.
PNP provincial commander Senior Supt. Edward Carranza disclosed that of the 1,227 policemen in Negros Oriental, 58 percent or 709 police personnel were not issued short firearms or only 518 have short firearms.
With this development, Carranza said, policemen will be more effective in the performance of their duties and responsibilities, especially in crime prevention and suppression.
To date, a number of policemen in Negros Oriental carry their own firearms, including the police provincial director, he said.
The firearms to be distributed all over the country are the Glock 23 9-mm pistol worth P1.7 billion.