MANILA, Philippines – The 160,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) will put an end to its yearly tradition of taping the muzzle of government-issued guns during the Christmas and New Year season.

For 2016, according to a directive from no less than PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, cops nationwide will not be required to tape and countersign their guns,

The practice of taping the muzzles of firearms is thought to prevent indiscriminate firing from members of the PNP. 

“It’s a directive from [Dela Rosa] during the last command conference. This is to show the people that the PNP is a disciplined and trusted organization,” explained Chief Superintendent Camilo Cascolan, the PNP’s director for operations, in a text message. 

Dela Rosa held a command conference – a meeting with the PNP’s top senior officers – late last week. 

“What we want to raise is the bar of discipline and responsibility among the PNP personnel, and the trust and confidence of the people,” added Cascolan. 

The PNP is in the midst of a popular but bloody war on drugs nationwide. From July 1 to December 12, at least 5,927 people have been killed, either in police operations or in suspected vigilante-style killings. 

Dela Rosa, however, insists that most of the 3,841 “deaths under investigation” listed by police weren’t linked to illegal drugs but were “normal” murders that were made to look as though they were linked to drugs. – Rappler.com