MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said members of police and military should automatically be exempted from the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), saying election time is not the time to impose requirements for uniformed personnel.
In his taped public address, Duterte said policemen and military men experience difficulties in securing clearances to carry firearms, saying they have no time to file and process this especially during elections.
He pointed out that there are instances where some police were apprehended after they were off duty and are bound to go home but their clearances do not cover their residences.
“Getting individual clearances from the Comelec is really a bad idea, kasi some policemen are assigned in an area different from where he is attuned to there, or he lives outside the area of his jurisdiction or assignment papauwi ng bahay, ito minsan nahuhuli,” he said.
He said that the law should automatically exempt police and military men from the gun ban.
Dapat sa batas, if you’re a duly appointed military man or in the roster of soldiers and the police, automatic na yan sana exempt members from the gun ban. Automatic na sana ‘yan,” he said.
“It is my stand na mahirapan kasi ang isang pulis to secure whatever clearances needed in the bringing of his hand gun or rifle for that matter if he is a soldier or a policeman kasi there will be no time,” Duterte added.
He pointed out that election time is a “heat game” for some politicians and there is still the possibility of violence before, during, and after the polls so it would be counter-productive to impose “so many requirements.”
“You know elections here are a heat game for some politicians. After the elections, there is still the possibility of violence before, during, and after the certain period. It’s not time to be imposing so many requirements,” he said.
Under Comelec Resolution 10728, the bearing, carrying, or transporting firearms or deadly weapons outside residence or place of business and in all public places is banned from January 9 to June 8, 2022 amid the national elections.
The polling body, however, earlier exempted the Office of the Vice President, senators, congressmen, court justices, Cabinet secretaries up to assistant secretaries from the gun ban, along with their security detail.
Comelec also granted chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan the authority to grant gun ban exemptions for “urgent and meritorious cases”, and place identified election areas of concern under Comelec control.