PNP: No more 'special' gun permits for civilians

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has asked the military and other law enforcement agencies to stop issuing permits for civilians to carry firearms outside their homes.

In a statement, Verzosa said National Firearms Control Program director Chief Superintendent Ireno Bacolod is coordinating with these agencies to stop handing out mission orders (MO) and Memorandum Receipts (MR) to civilians.

The action is being pursued under the National Firearms Control Program to regulate the proliferation of guns, he added.

An MR is an official document issued by a government agency for government property and equipment, including government-owned firearms.

On the other hand, an MO is an official document that authorizes law enforcers to carry firearms while in the performance of official duty.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina said these documents enable civilians to carry guns by making it appear that their guns are government property, and that they belong to law enforcement agencies.

“These unauthorized holders of firearms covered by spurious MRs and MOs are criminally liable for misrepresentation and usurpation of authority in addition to the criminal liability for illegal possession of firearms,” he said.

Next month, the PNP will start entertaining applications for the renewal of expired gun licenses. In October, the PNP will implement the month-long amnesty for loose guns.

The PNP has estimated that there are at least 1.1 million loose guns in the country, half of which are licensed guns in the hands of private persons with expired registration papers.

Verzosa also plans to include confiscated and surrendered firearms in the PNP arsenal since 51,000 of 125,000 police officers still have no PNP-issued handguns, according to a study done earlier this year.

He tapped the PNP Legal Service to initiate legal efforts to convert these loose firearms into government property.

Meanwhile, the PNP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are asking Congress to pass a law to make illegal gun possession a non-bailable offense.

He said under Republic Act 8294, which amended Presidential Decree 1866, a person found guilty of illegal gun possession can be jailed for a maximum of six years and fined at least P15,000.