PNP mulls national summit for firearms control

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is planning to hold a national summit for firearms control next month in an effort to help address the problem of loose firearms in the country.

The summit would help law enforcement grasp the issues involving loose firearms, PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said.

“As recommended by FED (Firearms and Explosives Division), it (national summit for firearms control) will be this April,” he said.

Verzosa has proposed “one last” amnesty for loose firearms, implementation of total gun ban, and stiffer penalty for illegal possession of firearms to minimize, if not totally prevent, election-related violent incidents (ERVIs) ahead of the 2010 elections.

PNP Civil Security Group director Chief Superintendent Ireneo Bacolod said the proposal of holding the summit for firearms control came from the recent three-day seminar-workshop by senior PNP officials who discussed the issues concerning gun control.

“We hope to hold the national summit for firearms control before the election period or within the year to be able to address all the issues concerning provisions on gun control,” Bacolod said.

Bacolod said the PNP would invite representatives from Department of Justice, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Customs to participate in the summit.

According to Bacolod, there are about 400,000 firearms, which were initially registered with FED but their licenses have expired.

He added that there are an estimated 96,000 loose firearms, most of which were never documented by the PNP.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said a national summit for firearms control is also being considered by the PNP to allow stakeholders to participate in the discussions.

Bartolome said the summit would provide the opportunity for the PNP to be updated with the recent developments regarding the provisions on gun control.

“Various issues and concerns can also be addressed through this summit,” he said.

During the PNP seminar-workshop held at Clark Field in Pampanga, police officials proposed stricter rules and regulations to help address the problem of loose firearms in the country.

Verzosa said the PNP is now eyeing a stiffer penalty for illegal possession of firearms as well as making it a non-bailable offense.

“We are looking into these measures so that perpetrators will not get off so easily,” Verzosa said.

“If a person is caught with more than three illegal firearms in his possession, we are proposing that such individuals cannot post bail. This is due to the fact that these firearms may be used for illegal activities and in that way we are eliminating the risk of such incidents.”

Verzosa said they would propose before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to impose a total gun ban and not to allow any exemptions during the election period.

“We want to ensure the peace and order during the entire electoral process and as such, we believe that only uniformed personnel of the PNP and the AFP should be allowed to handle firearms during the election period,” he said.

As for loose firearms and firearms with unrenewed licenses, the PNP is considering another one month amnesty before the election period.

Bartolome stressed this would be the last amnesty for gun holders.

“The PNP wants to provide a ‘last chance’ for gun owners to register their firearms before stiffer penalties will be imposed,” he said.

The PNP is targeting the third quarter of the year for the amnesty program. Documentation of the proposals will be done immediately for submission to concerned agencies.