Group accused PNP of violating Supreme Court TRO

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A consumer group accused the Philippine National Police (PNP) of circumventing the restraining order issued by the Supreme Court against the implementation of some provisions of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act pending resolution of the law’s constitutionality.

“It is lamentable that our police leadership has chosen to conveniently ignore the court’s order,” Coalition of Filipino Consumers Secretary General Perfecto Jaime Tagalog said in a statement.

Tagalog said in the case of the issuance of the licenses and permit to carry (PTCs), the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) reopened its regional offices but all approvals would still have to be done in Camp Crame, which means the PNP will still avail of the private courier service.

The high court issued the resolution pending resolution on the petition questioning the law’s constitutionality.

Provisions of the law covered by the restraining order are centralizing the application and renewal of gun licenses at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City, utilizing any courier services for deliveries of approved firearms license cards and allowing the police, under the guise of inspection, to enter the dwelling of firearms applicants and owners without a court-issued search warrant.

The high court issued the restraining order upon the petitions of Gun Owners in Action (GO Act) and Peaceful Respondent Owners of Guns Inc. (PRO Gun).

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