Zamboanga City police receive assault rifles

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Jun 19): Zamboanga City police receive assault rifles

THE Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) has received a boost in firepower and mobility in its fight against all forms of criminality and in maintaining peace and order here.

Mayor Celso Lobregat has turned over Wednesday some P5 million worth of high-powered rifles, thousands of ammunition, and two units of motorcycle to the ZCPO.

Zamboanga Peninsula police director Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño recieved the firearms comprising of 75 M4 assault rifles, 20,703 ammunition, 300 magazines, and motorcycles.

Of the 20,703 ammunition, 10,352 are for M-16 Armalite rifle and 10,351 for .9-mm pistol.

Vaño in turn, handed over the firearms, ammunition, and motorcycles to ZCPO officer-in-charge Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo.

Lobregat said the firearms, ammunition and motorcycles, were purchased through the peace and order funds of the City Government. He said the provision of the assault rifles is part of the local government’s assistance to the ZCPO in the fight against all forms of criminality.

He added that the City Government has provided a total of 274 M4 rifles to the ZCPO since 2010, including 75 units turned over on Wednesday.

De Ocampo said the firearms will be distributed to different police stations under his command and priority will be given to the stations in the far-flung areas.

De Ocampo’s command has 11 police stations that have jurisdiction over this city’s 98 villages, including eight island villages.

He said the firearms and ammunition are a big boost to the firepower of his command. He also reminded the policemen under De Ocampo’s command to diligently follow their mandate.

Both Vaño and De Ocampo expressed gratitude to Lobregat for the purchase of the new assault rifles, motorcycles and ammunition.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2013/06/19/zamboanga-city-police-receive-assault-rifles-288207