PNP to issue additional guidelines for ‘Oplan Katok’ to prevent abuse
Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, Philippine National Police spokesperson. —INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — More guidelines from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Operations are expected for “Oplan Katok,” its door-to-door campaign to encourage gun owners to renew their licenses or surrender their firearms for safekeeping.
The clarification came from Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, in a press briefing on Thursday, after the Commission on Elections said it needed “safeguards” for the program not to be used against candidates and voters in the 2025 national and local elections.
“We expect na may mga ilalabas na mga additional guidelines ang ating Directorate for Operations to make sure na what is the intent of the letter nitong guidelines ay talagang masusunod ng ating pulis at hindi ito magagamit sa pangha-harass at intimidasyon,” Fajardo said.
(We expect that additional guidelines will be released by our Directorate for Operations to make sure that the intent of the letter of these guidelines is really followed by our police officers and that it wouldn’t be used to harass or intimidate.)
“Hindi mangyayari ‘yun. We have enough safeguards,” she stressed.
(That won’t happen. We have enough safeguards.)
According to the PNP spokesperson, while additional guidelines were being crafted, the police force already submitted its 2022 guidelines for “Oplan Katok” to the Comelec.
READ: Comelec understands but needs safeguards in PNP’s ‘Oplan Katok’
Further, she detailed that among the safeguards were to conduct visits only during office hours unless requested and encouraging gun owners to take photos and videos for recordkeeping purposes.
“Anything outside of the guidelines ay we will make sure na hindi yun mangyayari,” Fajardo said.
(Anything outside of the guidelines, we will make sure it won’t happen.)
READ: CHR tells PNP ‘Oplan Katok’ must not cause panic among citizens
“Sa haba ng panahon na ini-implement natin ang revitalized ‘Katok’ ay wala namang nagreklamo na pinasok nang sapilitan yung bahay nila, pilit na kinuha yung mga baril at hinarass sila. So far, wala tayong nare-receive na report na ganoon,” she added.
(In the history of us implementing the revitalized ‘Katok,’ there were no complaints that their houses were forcibly entered into or that their guns were forcibly taken and that they were harassed. So far, we have received no complaints like that.)
