Court shooting aftermath 10 fiscals apply for gun permits

CEBU, Philippines - At least 10 prosecutors led by regional state prosecutor Fernando Gubalane and Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon yesterday applied for permit to bear firearms in connection with the May election before the Commission on Elections.

The staff of Sellon handed the application of the prosecutors to the Comelec provincial office at around 11:20 a.m.

Aside from Gubalane and Sellon, prosecutors Van Russel Inopiquez, Mario Edgardo Montinegro, Rogelio del Prado, Simaco Labata, Noel Cellona, Ricky Jones Macabaya, Liceria Rabillas and Oscar Capacio, all of the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office, also applied for gun permits.

Gubalane said he was frightened by last Tuesday’s shooting inside the Palace of Justice, where lawyer Jubian Achas and his client, Dr. Reynold Rene Rafols, were shot and killed by Canadian national John Pope.

Although prosecutors were exempted from the Comelec gun ban, Gubalane said they will have still to comply with the necessary requirements to obtain permit to carry firearm.

The application for permit will be handled and approved by the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel headed by Commissioner Elias Yusoph.

Comelec’s Resolution 9561, promulgated on November 23, 2012, prohibits anyone from carrying firearms in connection with the May 2013 elections.

Sellon applied for permit for his .40 Smith and Wesson caliber, Inopiquez for .45 caliber, Montenegro for .38 caliber, Del Prado for 9mm caliber, Labata for .38 caliber, Cellona for 9mm, Macabaya for .38 caliber, Capacio for .38 revolver and Gubalane for .38 pistol and .40 Smith and Wesson.

Supreme Court administrator Jose Maidas Marquez said he will ask the Comelec to also exempt court sheriffs from the gun ban since they help maintain the security inside the Palace of Justice.

Public reminder

Despite the ongoing gun ban, the shooting incident inside the Palace of Justice led the Comelec to remind the public on the need to restrict gun use.

The gun ban started on January 13 and will end on June 12.

Comelec assistant provincial election officer Ferdinand Gujilde said all approved gun permits have been automatically cancelled when the election period started.

He said that unless a permit for exemption has been applied and approved, it is illegal to carry a gun.

Gujilde stated that only those who work for government law enforcement agencies would be able to apply for an exemption.          

However, he said that only those whose function is mainly in line with law enforcement and security would be given a permit.

Gujilde said that for those under the judiciary department, only city and provincial prosecutors would be allowed to have gun permits.

But he said there might be changes following the incident last Tuesday. 

Gubalani said they would have to apply for an exemption although, according to the law, they are already exempted from the gun ban.

He said although they do not have problem with the application, the process of approval takes time.

But with the recent shooting incident, Gujilde said the process of granting permits to prosecutors might be expedited. — /LPM (FREEMAN)