PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — Even sharp-shooting action heroes and trigger-happy villains must comply.
The Philippine National Police reminded movie and TV producers to secure proper permits if they are using gun props for their scenes, saying such replicas are covered by the firearms ban being implemented in connection with the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
“Those individuals that intend to use airsoft/airgun and other imitation firearms as theatrical property during a performance or production must seek authority from the CBFSC (Committee on the Ban of Firearms and Security Concerns) by filing an application for a certificate of authority-transport,” said Brig. Gen. Roger Quesada, the acting chief of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO), in an advisory dated Oct. 6.
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3-month prohibition
Gun props used even for films and TV shows should therefore get permits first from the CBFSC of the Commission on Elections. Violations are penalized under Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, and the Omnibus Election Code.
The latter imposes on convicted offenders a prison term of up to six years and a permanent disqualification from holding public office.
Under these laws, imitation guns refer to replicas that are designed and colored so convincingly that “a reasonable person” can mistake them for real weapons.
An imitation firearm used in a crime will be considered a real firearm in offenses under RA 10591. However, injuries caused by imitation firearms during competitions or recreational activities are not punishable under the same law.
The current gun ban related to the Oct. 30 polls took effect on Aug. 28 and will run for three months, or up to Nov. 29. During the period, only members of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other law enforcement agencies on official duty and in uniform may carry firearms.
Gun permits — like authority to carry firearms outside of residence, letter orders, and mission orders — are suspended during the ban.
Exemptions require a certificate of authority from the CBFSC and would depend on the applicant’s line of work. At a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said a total of 1,208 individuals had been arrested and 912 firearms confiscated since the start of the election gun ban.
Up to 1,692 firearms have been deposited in the PNP for safekeeping, while 731 have been surrendered due to expired licenses, Fajardo said.