New firearms law won’t make gun owners miserable — Oppus

CEBU, Philippines - The chief of Firearms and Explosives Office in Camp Crame yesterday clarified that the new firearms law does not intend to make gun owners miserable.

Chief Supt. Louie Oppus said in a press conference that RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) is aimed to speed up the process of acquiring gun license.

The new law took some of the requirements set forth by the previous laws, Oppus said.

He explained that instead of giving license only to guns now the gun owner is the subject of the new law.

Gun owners now have to get License to Own and Possess (LTOP) a weapon before he can acquire a gun, he said.

Before LTOP will be issued by his office, gun owners need to show that they are capable and qualified to purchase a weapon. Unlike before when anybody can just go to any accredited drug testing center and hospitals for the requirements, under a new law, a gun owner needs to undergo neuropsychiatric exam at the Regional Health Services (RHS-7) and PNP Crime Laboratory Services (PCLS-7) for the drug test. Both offices are located at the Camp Sotero Cabahug in Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City.

The new law also classified weapons into small and light arms, he said.

Small arms are those weapons which are intended to be fired from the hand or shoulder, which are not capable of fully automatic bursts or discharge.

While light arms are classified into class A and class B. Class A weapons include self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns, assault rifles and light machines guns not exceeding caliber 7.62mm which are capable of a full automatic mode.

And class B weapons are those weapons designed for use by two or more persons serving as a crew, or rifles and machines guns exceeding caliber 7.62mm.

Oppus said under the new law, private citizens with licenses are only allowed to possess not more than two small arms.

He said that upon completing all the requirements the application will be transmitted electronically to his office and he will be the one to approve or reject the application.

Once approved, a systems-generated SMS confirmation will be sent to the applicant’s mobile phone.

The owner need not go to the main office to get his license. It will be sent to the applicant to their own address via courier. â€”/JRS (FREEMAN)