Comelec to PNP: Suspend ‘Oplan Katok’ for 2025 elections

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia on Thursday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to suspend the ‘Oplan Katok’ operations for the May 2025 elections.

“Paulit-ulit po natin i-emphasize, ipa-pakiusap sa kanila, hindi naman po ito pwersahan, na kung pwede, ma-suspend na lang muna ang implementasyon nitong ‘Oplan Katok’ dito lang sa panahon naman ng election period,” Garcia said in an interview with the reporters. 

(Let's emphasize again and again I am asking them, but not to force it, only if possible, to suspend the implementation of the 'Oplan Katok' for the time being during the election period.) 

The “Oplan Katok” is a door-to-door campaign against expired firearms. The PNP earlier said this was not intended to harass or intimidate anyone amid the election season.

However, Garcia pointed out that Oplan Katok may instill fear in the voters and may also be used to the advantage of some candidates and incumbents. 

“Ito po ay para maiwasan ang kahit na anong issue ng natatakot ang mga botante o nagagamit itong offline katok para sa advantage ng ilang politiko, ilang kandidato, ilang incumbents,” he said. 

(This is to avoid any issue of voters being afraid or using this as an advantage for some politicians, candidates, and incumbents.) 

He said that the Oplan Katok is pointless, knowing that the person who owns a licensed gun will not take his weapon outside. 

“So what's the use of going dun sa bahay kung ang pakay ay isang lisensyadong baril? Di ba kung ang pakay ay lisensyadong baril, hindi rin naman malalabas and therefore, wala pong basis para katukin yung mismong bahay," he said

"Kung ang purpose naman natin ay yung mga barel na illegal and therefore kaya natin kinakatok, siguro naman po kahit na iligal yung barel, sa panahon naman na period na ito, pwede naman natin ipagpaliban muna. Pwede mangatok na lang ulit tayo pagkatapos (ng election),” he added. 

(So, what's the use of going to the house if the target is a licensed gun? If the target is a licensed gun, the owner is unlikely to bring it out and therefore, there is no basis to check the house. If our purpose is the barrels that are illegal, then maybe we can postpone it? We can knock again after the election.) 

On Monday, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo maintained that the said operation is a “regular function” of the police body.

Data by PNP showed that 621,395 notices were issued to gun owners in 2024. Of this number, 16,473 have renewed their gun licenses, and 10,676 firearms were turned over for safekeeping. 

In a "24 Oras" report on Thursday, PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil said it’s their mandate to locate illegal firearms in the country. 

“Of course diretso po yung ating trabaho yan (that's our direct job.) It’s not prohibited by the election kasi trabaho talaga ng pulis namin (ecause it's our job) to really to locate mga firearms and to account all our firearms,” he said. 

On Tuesday, the Comelec and PNP are set to discuss the issues relating to Oplan Katok. 

“Open po tayo sa dialogue with the Comelec to explain to them ano ba nature, extent and limitation nitong Oplan Katok po,” said PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo. 

(We are open to a dialogue with the Comelec to explain to them the nature, extent, and limitations of the Oplan Katok.)—LDF, GMA Integrated News