Screengrabs from a video made public on Facebook show three men firing guns during the New Year’s Day revelry.
MANILA, Philippines – Despite the filing of charges against trigger-happy individuals who fired their guns amid the holiday revelries, the country’s law on indiscriminate firing is not stringent enough to penalize offenders.
Thus the Philippine National Police (PNP) has urged for amendments in the Revised Penal Code classifying illegal discharge of firearms as a minor crime.
Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesperson, reiterated in a press briefing on Tuesday that only a P200 fine or imprisonment of one day to a month is slapped against violators under the Revised Penal Code.
“There is a need to change or amend the provision. The penalty should also be commensurate to the offense,” Mayor said.
Mayor said the Department of Justice has started looking into amendments to the Revised Penal Code, which was enacted in 1930.
“We’re not being harsh here but if this is the case, the law will not have any effect on the offender,” he added.
This came amid the viral Facebook post of several men in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur alternately firing rifles and a handgun.
The men – Cezar Funtanilla, Mark R-Jay Cabana, Jumar Cabreros, Ian Cristopher Calixterio, Russel Funtanilla, Philip Andrew Funtanilla, Geronimo Gomez and Mark Cachola – have been charged with alarm and scandal for the incident.
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