Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Friday said a permit to carry firearms outside residence granted to armed personnel does not give them the right or license to threaten or assault anyone.
The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief turned lawmaker also lauded the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) move to revoke the firearms permit of retired police officer Wilfredo Gonzales who was involved in the viral Quezon City road rage case.
“That is not acceptable in a civilized society. Even if you say [that] it’s just [meant to] scare, but still, it has a huge impact on those who saw you pull out a gun, even if you say you didn’t aim,” Dela Rosa said in a statement in Filipino.
“‘The PNP giving you a Permit to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence is for your own protection, not to threaten or commit aggressive actions against anybody. So the PNP was right to revoke his gun license,” Dela Rosa added.
The Senate’s committee on public order and dangerous drugs is set to summon Gonzales to a public hearing on Tuesday, September 5.
“We will [issue a] subpoena [against] him if he doesn’t show up. If he still doesn’t show up to the subpoena, we can have him arrested by our Sergeant at Arms,” he said. (Harold Hernandez, INQUIRER.net trainee)