THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is eyeing additional measures in the issuance of firearms permits.
In a statement, PNP chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said they are looking into requiring those applying for or renewing firearms permits to undergo a comprehensive gun safety seminar focused on the proper safekeeping of firearms.
“The gun-related incidents in schools and communities, particularly involving minors, all boil down to the issue of accessibility to firearms. This is where the intervention should also focus, and this is what we in the PNP will address,” he said.
Nartatez said he has already tasked the Civil Security Group to come up with final and updated guidelines for the conduct of regular gun safety seminars for all registered firearm owners across the country.
He said the PNP started conducting a comprehensive review of existing gun ownership rules and regulations following the gun attack at a school in Tacloban City.
The top cop said part of the review involves coordinating with gun store owners to seek their inputs and contributions toward making communities safer from irresponsible gun ownership.
The PNP, through the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO), serves as the sole authority for issuing gun licenses, permits, and firearm registrations in the Philippines under Republic Act No. 10591.
Nartatez reminded the public that gun ownership comes with significant responsibilities, which are stipulated in the issuance of permits, from the License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF) to firearm registration and the Permit to Carry Firearms Outside Residence (PTCFOR).
Two minor students, one of whom was the gunman, were killed following the shooting incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The incident came almost two months after a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that led to the deaths of three students. Those responsible for the shooting were also students at the same school, aged 14 and 15.
In both incidents, the firearms used by the minor suspects were issued by the government.
The minor suspect in the Ateneo shooting used a firearm issued by the Bureau of Customs to his father, while one of the children in conflict with the law in the Tacloban shooting reportedly took a gun from his aunt, who is a policewoman.
Authorities said the incidents could have been prevented if the firearms had been properly secured, preventing the minors from accessing them. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)