Palace backs centralized renewal of gun licenses

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang supports the decision of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to centralize firearms licensing as 60 to 70 percent of gun holders in the country are found to have spurious or fictitious data.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. yesterday said the government would have to stop the proliferation of loose firearms.

The PNP closed its satellite offices for renewal of license for guns to centralize firearms registry operations. Gun owners will now have to go to Metro Manila for the application or renewal of their guns’ licenses.

According to Coloma, this move will further raise the standard and integrity of the firearms registry system.

Coloma said he was able to talk to PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac and was told that of the 1.7 million registered firearms reviewed by the Firearms and Explosive Office and civil security group, 60 to 70 percent of the gun holders had questionable data.

Coloma cited as example the name and photograph of the gun owner would not match the address, thus raising questions on the integrity of the records.

Any reasonable person would decide to cleanse or fix the records because it would be dangerous to have too many loose and unauthorized firearms in the country, he said.

Coloma said there must be an efficient and reliable process of verification and that the cost of traveling to Manila should not be an issue.

He said it would be safe to assume that those who could buy guns could also afford the expense of traveling to Manila to have their firearms registered properly.