SC urged: Check on PNP’s gun license scheme

MANILA, Philippines - A consumer group urged the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to check on the compliance of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on its temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the implementation of the new firearms licensing scheme.

The Coalition of Filipino Consumers (CFC) alleged that the PNP is circumventing the SC halt order as it allegedly continues to implement key provisions in the new law imposing stricter requirements for obtaining firearm licenses in the country covered by the TRO.

“It is lamentable that our police leadership has chosen to conveniently ignore the court’s orders by circumventing them,” CFC secretary general Perfecto Jaime Tagalog alleged in an interview with reporters at the SC.

Tagalog pointed out that in the case of the issuance of the licenses and permits to carry firearms, the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) reopened its regional offices but all approvals remain centralized at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City. 

The CFC head said this means the PNP will still avail of the private courier service – a scheme precisely covered by the SC TRO. 

Tagalog echoed the warning made by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez that the PNP has apparently circumvented the order.

A plunder complaint was filed against PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima and FEO head Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with a P100-million contract with WerFast Documentary Agency Inc., which was tapped to be the official courier of gun licenses, permits to carry guns outside the residence and other related documents.

 Purisima had shut down all the satellite offices of the FEO around the country, centralized the processing of gun licenses at the FEO’s head office at Camp Crame and appointed WerFast as the sole delivery service of the PNP for the firearms licenses, complainant Glenn Gerard Ricafranca said.        

The SC issued the TRO last April 8 upon petitions filed by Gun Owners in Action (GO Act) and Peaceful Respondent Owners of Guns Inc. (PRO Gun) last month.