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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Supreme Court asked to shoot down gun ban (3:16 pm)
MANILA -- A prominent gun enthusiast on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to overrule President Arroyo and allow licensed civilian firearms owners to carry their handguns in public places, court officials said.
Arroyo outlawed civilian-owned guns on the streets last month to curb rising firearms-related violence. She also ordered police to confiscate hundreds of thousands of unlicensed weapons from the populace.
Francisco Chavez, the solicitor-general or top government lawyer in the late 1980s, asked the Supreme Court to declare the Arroyo campaign "unconstitutional", court officials said.
He also asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the police from enforcing the gun ban while the Supreme Court justices deliberate on the case.
There was no immediate comment from the justices.
The government says illegal firearms are involved in about 85 percent of all gun-related crimes in the Philippines.
Millions of Filipinos own handguns, with a smaller number also keep assault rifles at home. They say the weapons give them protection against kidnappers and burglars.
Prior to the Arroyo order, a small number of civilians were given licenses to carry their handguns in public for their own protection. (AFP) |
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