PNP wants happy gun owners

The chief of the Philippine National Police has directed the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) to make the gun registration more “client-friendly.”

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez noted that the new gun control law, or Republic Act 10591, has strict requirements, drawing complaints from a lot of firearms owners.

In particular, Marquez pointed out that a centralized firearms registration was not sustainable since this means that applicants from far-flung provinces must go to Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Instead, he ordered the FEO to exert efforts to assist responsible gun holders in complying with the new law.

Marquez stressed the importance of an information and communications technology structure that would help in the decentralization of the firearms registration process.

Earlier, the FEO conducted a firearms registration caravan nationwide to accommodate gun owners in the provinces.

Under the new gun control law, gun owners are now required to get a license to own and possess firearms, depending on the number of guns they own.

As of June, the FEO has issued 50,428 LTOPF or license to own and possess firearm, representing 10 percent of the 500,000 registered gun owners. The FEO has 1.6 million firearms registered in its database which means some gun owners have more than one firearm.