PNP urged: Stop ‘money-making’ scheme in gun license delivery

MANILA, Philippines - A consumer rights group yesterday called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to stop its “money-making” scheme of hiring a courier service that will deliver the gun licenses of at least 1.5 million gun holders in the country.

In a statement, the Coalition of Filipino Consumers, through its secretary general Perfecto Jaime Tagalog, denounced the decision of PNP officials to push through with the hiring of another courier service to deliver gun licenses.

Earlier, PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima insisted that a courier service is one of the measures to abate the proliferation of loose firearms.

PNP records showed there are 600,000 loose firearms in the country.

The courier service will make sure gun licenses are delivered to the rightful applicants in their exact addresses, Purisima said.

Werfast Inc., a delivery service company commissioned by the PNP to deliver gun licenses, had backed out of the deal after being criticized for overpriced and delayed delivery of firearm licenses.