PNP won't arm civilian volunteers, but acquiring own guns allowed
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will not be arming its civilian volunteers after all, but citizens who pass qualifications to own weapons may use them, its chief said Wednesday.
Speaking at the oath-taking of Provincial Coalition of Lingkod Bayan Advocacy Support Groups and Force Multipliers officers, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, said that Duterte simply meant that volunteers were allowed to use their own arms.
"The truth is that we will not actually arm you. But as a Filipino citizen, you have the right to own a firearm based on the law. You can apply...if you can pass the requirements, you can bear firearms," he said in Filipino.
"If you want to be able to protect yourself, just like anybody else, you can avail that. But your role is, you are not police. You will not enforce the law. You will help us enforce the law by reporting to us."
This runs counter to the general's earlier statement on the proposal when he said that it was only a means "to encourage volunteerism and definitely not vigilantism."
“The proposal to arm them is purely for their own protection, to defend themselves and the PNP itself will not allow each and every one of them to engage in the actual fighting of criminal elements," he said Sunday.
The idea first came from President Rodrigo Duterte, who said that qualified civilians should “get a gun” and help the government enforce laws.
"If you have this coalition, you have a list of people who are there and who can arm themselves. I will order the police. If you are qualified, get a gun and help us enforce the laws," Duterte said during the launch of the coalition in Camp Crame on Friday.
RELATED: PNP chief backs Duterte's proposal to arm civilian volunteers vs crime
'Yes-man'
The chief executive typically makes policy decisions on the fly during public addresses, and government officials including the national police have often shown that they will rush to implement policies that the president mentions in his nightly speeches.
Opposition senators, the justice department, and human rights groups have since rallied against the proposal, noting the potential for violations by "vigilante groups."
"Our peace and order is a shared responsibility. We all have roles to play, but we should also follow the law," Eleazar said.
"What our president meant is as simple as that," he added.
The best subordinate is one who disagrees and argues his point with his superior, but dutifully follows after a final decision is rendered. The worst kind is a ‘yes-man’.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) June 29, 2021
Earlier Wednesday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said in an interview aired over TV5 ni Ted Failon with DJ Chacha that the PNP chief should have studied the proposal first before publicly backing it.
"He didn't even study it much yet, but he supported it right away. He should have processed it first before saying it was a good idea," he said in Filipino.
Lacson, himself a former PNP chief, said in a separate interview aired over dzMM TeleRadyo that the move would make the police look "helpless to ask for help from civilians."
“The PNP should make it a point first to show that it is efficient, professional and competent to protect civilians on the streets from malefactors – including those with unlicensed guns and irresponsible gun holders that make them a threat – before it issues [permits] to deputize civilian ‘volunteers,'” he said.
— with reports from Bella Perez-Rubio
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