MANILA, Philippines – Even priests, bank tellers, nurses, accredited media practitioners and businessmen whose lives are in danger will be allowed to carry firearms outside of residence once a proposed legislation on this in the Senate is passed into law.
Senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Senate Bill 2933, which seeks a comprehensive law on firearms, light weapons and ammunitions filed by Senator Panfilo Lacson, listed at least eight professions and occupations that should be given permit by authorities to carry firearms outside of residence.
They include members of the Philippine Bar; Certified Public Accountants; accredited media practitioners; cashiers and bank tellers; priests, ministers, Rabbi, imams; physicians and nurses; engineers, and businesspersons.
But a permit to carry firearms outside of residence should only be issued by the chief of the Philippine National Police “to any qualified person whose life is under actual threat or their lives are in imminent danger due to the nature of their profession, occupation or business.”
“It shall be the burden of the applicant to prove that his life is under actual threat by submitting a threat assessment certificate from the PNP,” said the bill.
The bill provides a penalty of “prision correccional” and a fine of P10,000 against any person who would carry a registered firearm outside of residence without any legal authority.
To acquire and own a firearm or firearms and ammunition, the bill also provides that the applicant must be a Filipino citizen, at 21 years old, has a police clearance and gainful work, occupation or business or has filed an income tax return for the preceding year as proof of income, profession, business or occupation.
The applicant should also submit the following certification to show that he has not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; he has passed the psychiatric and drug tests and a gun safety seminar ; has filed in writing the application to possess a registered firearm and that he has no pending criminal case in courts for a crime that is punishable with a penalty of more than two years.
In filing the bill, Lacson noted the growing number of privately-owned firearms in the country and the increasing “perception” that the Philippine National Police “is failing in its mandate of securing the citizenry.”
“The same is true when it comes to the number of loose firearms and number of firearms whose licenses were never renewed by their owners,” he said in his explanatory note.
Lacson also saw the urgent need to pass the bill as he foresees more gun-related violence with the upcoming 2013 elections.
“With the 2013 elections just around the corner where gun related violence is expected to escalate, there is no doubt that there is an urgency to pass this bill into law,” he further said.