Dad to CCCI: Take part in curbing toy gun sales

Councilor Edgardo Labella has called on the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry to take part in reminding businessmen not to engage in the sale and distribution of toy guns.

Labella, chairman of the City Council committee on good government, said City Ordinance 1743 prohibits the sale and possession of toy guns that look like the real ones.

"Some stores and business outlets in this city have reportedly been stockpiling supplies of toy guns which closely resemble caliber .45 pistol, caliber .38 revolver, M-16 Armalite, Ingram and Uzi machine pistols, including the latest models of handguns and long firearms for Christmas promotional sales gimmicks," Labella said.

Labella also said the police authorities should also properly implement the law so that the proliferation of toy guns will be stopped during the Christmas season.

"The supply of toy guns increases during Christmas season as various business entities try to capture the buyer's seasonal preference for toy guns or guns replicas," Labella added.

Last month, the council passed a resolution directing the barangay officials and police to strictly implement the law that bans the selling and possessing of gun pellets.

Councilor Procopio Fernandez, who authored the resolution, said several complaints have reached his office regarding the continued selling of gun pellets by sidewalk vendors.

Fernandez, chairman of the council committee on police and public safety, also pointed out that war games have been rampant in barangay Duljo-Fatima.

"Using toy guns equipped with gun pellets, this game is truly risky and harmful to those children involved so much so that they are not wearing any protective gear at all," Fernandez said.

Fernandez said that barangay officials and police should also come up with measures that would put a stop to the public selling of toy guns. Under the City Ordinance No. 1743, selling and possessing of toy guns that resemble the real guns by appearance, size and color are a violation except for airsoft guns.

City police chief Melvin Gayotin is supporting the move of the City Council to introduce amendments to the ordinance.

The amendments introduced by the council include the requirements that those who can own airsoft guns must be at least 18 years old and must be a member of any city sports organization that is registered with Securities and Exchange Commissions.

The requirements also stated that owner of the airsoft gun must never display the weapon in public or use it to intimidate or harm other persons or property, and that the owner must not wear his/her battle dress or uniform before reaching the game site.

Another requirement is that airsoft guns should only be bought from licensed dealers with government permits. - Garry B. Lao