Harsher penalties for illegal possession of deadly weapons sought

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker reiterated the need to reform the law on possession of offensive or deadly weapons in public to promote public order and prevent crime.

 

Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo file House Bill (HB) 4897 or the "Crime Prevention Act" which seeks to impose harsher penalties for the crime of illegal possession of deadly weapons.

 

“The possession of offensive weapons, or bladed or pointed articles fosters violence, may lead to injury and even death, and facilitates the commission of crimes,” Romualdo said.

 

The bill states that  a person caught possessing an offensive weapon in a public place without a legitimate purpose or lawful authority would have to be imprisoned from three months to one year and pay a fine of P10,000 to P20,000. Illegal possession of pointed or bladed weapons would be punished with one to six months imprisonment and P3,000 to P10,000 fine.

 

A person who will be caught holding an offensive weapon in a school, healthcare facility, government office or facility, port, airport, bus station or stop, railway station, on board public transportation or public demonstration will be imprisoned from one to two years and would have to pay P20,000 to P30,000 fine. Illegal possession of pointed or bladed weapons in said places would be punished by six months to one year imprisonment and P10,000 to P20,000 fine.

 

HB 4897 seeks to repeal Paragraph 3 of Presidential Decree 9, as amended by Batas Pambansa Blg. 6 which states that “It is unlawful to carry outside of one’s residence any bladed, pointed or blunt weapon such as knife, spear, pana, dagger, bolo, barong, kris or chako, except where such articles are being used as necessary tools or implements to earn a livelihood or in pursuit of a lawful activity. Any person found guilty thereof shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not less than one month nor more than one year, or a fine of not less than Php200 nor more than Php2,000, or both such imprisonment and fine as the Court may direct.”

 

Minors above 15 years but below 18 years of age who will be caught possessing offensive weapons or bladed materials will be presumed to have acted with discernment, according to the bill.

 

The Crime Prevention Act is now pending at the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.

 

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