Responsible gun ownership

Lawmakers and gun control advocates are up in arms over the policy change announced recently by the Philippine National Police easing the rules on gun ownership.

Under the new IRR of the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition Regulation or Republic Act 10591 proposed by the PNP, the civilians may be allowed to own semi-automatic rifles or those of a caliber not exceeding 7.62mm.

A separate license is needed for the gun owner to transport the firearm or carry it outdoors.

The PNP said the new IRR was prepared by a technical working group it created and submitted to the University of the Philippines Law Center on Feb. 27 for publication, after which the revision would take affect after 15 days.

Lawmakers are reported to have expressed grave concern over this development.

For Sen. Francis Tolentino, the new IRR implementation should be reviewed since promoting a culture of gun ownership particularly involving long firearms will not be conducive to achieving economic stability.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the law itself should be amended, pointing out that “hoarding high-powered weapons should not be a hobby, much less one enabled by law…our society, families and schools will be safer if we reduce the guns that may be used to kill and commit other crimes.”

For her part, Sen. Imee Marcos asked whether gun manufacturers and dealers had done any lobbying to convince the PNP to relax the rules.

The Gunless Society of the Philippines, a group founded in the early 1990s, urged President Marcos Jr. to suspend the revised IRR of RA 10591 that eased the restrictions on who could own such firearms.

The group warned that semi-automatic rifles could end up in the hands of criminal syndicates and rebel groups. It pointed out that “no society can prosper in an environment where public safety is in question.”

On the other hand, the Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines insists that “buying a gun (does not mean) you can get it right away. It goes through lengthy processing,” and the Philippines, in fact, has stricter gun purchase and ownership rules compared to the United States.

The PNP has given assurances that safeguards are in place to address concerns over the IRR revision, and “not just anyone will be able to have the privilege to possess and own small arms.”

Whatever would be the outcome of this controversial issue, what should probably be emphasized is responsible gun ownership.

That means a firearm, whether a handgun or more powerful ones like semi-automatic rifles, should be made available to the citizenry only for their protection from criminal elements and only after passing a stringent licensing process.

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