A LAPU-LAPU CITY councilor is pushing an ordinance requiring all firing range operators in the city to strictly comply with Philippine National Police (PNP) safety standards.
Councilor Jan Vincent Dela Serna, chairperson of the committee on Police, Penology, Fire, and Civil Military Relations, said the proposal was prompted by reports of stray bullets hitting households in Barangay Canjulao on two or three separate occasions.
Dela Serna told SunStar Cebu on Monday, August 24, 2026, that the incidents were believed to be partly linked to a firing range’s backstop, which was reportedly too low to contain bullets.
The Canjulao firing range, which Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan earlier ordered suspended, remains temporarily closed pending a police inspection.
“We planned to make the regulations stricter because what if another incident happens in the future and someone gets hit? We want to prevent that from happening,” Dela Serna said in Cebuano.
Safety standards
The proposed ordinance requires firing range operators to maintain valid PNP-Firearms and Explosives Office accreditation.
Lapu-Lapu has four PNP-accredited firing ranges, two private facilities in Barangays Agus and Marigondon, and two government-run ranges at the Naval Forces Central and Mactan Air Base.
While the four facilities are accredited by the PNP, Dela Serna said the proposed ordinance seeks to further strengthen requirements on the installation and maintenance of backstops, as well as other safety measures in firing ranges.
The proposal would impose additional requirements, including 15-foot-high and five-foot-thick earthen backstops or berms for outdoor ranges, security perimeters and safety baffles.
Indoor ranges would be required to have bullet traps, acoustic insulation, adequate ventilation and lead filtration systems.
The ordinance also requires a PNP-accredited Range Safety Officer to be present during live firing and operators to maintain user and firearm records, subject to the Data Privacy Act.
A joint team from the local police, City Engineering Office and Business Permits and Licensing Office would conduct unannounced inspections twice a year.
Penalties
Violations would carry escalating sanctions, starting with a warning and 15-day suspension for a first offense.
A second offense would mean a P5,000 fine and 30-day suspension of the mayor’s business permit, while a third offense would result in permanent permit revocation and closure.
The ordinance also requires a current inspection report and clearances from the local chief of police and City Bureau of Fire Protection before a business or mayor’s permit can be issued or renewed.
Dela Serna said he also plans to discuss during the public hearing a ban on minors accessing or handling firearms at private firing ranges.
A public hearing is scheduled on Thursday, August 27, with representatives of the four firing ranges, barangay captains and the City Legal Office. (DPC/SunStar Philippines)