The Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) has simplified the system of obtaining provisional licenses to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) to boost responsible ownership and reduce the number of loose guns.
Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday said that the FEO had reduced the number of requirements for the issuance of the provisional LTOPF from the current 11 to only three.
“We have crafted a system wherein you can avail of a provisional LTOPF with fewer requirements,” Dela Rosa announced at the 25th Defense and Sporting Arms Show at SM Megamall.
According to FEO chief Senior Supt. Valeriano de Leon, the requirements are the application form, P500-payment and a valid identification card.
De Leon said that the new system may be in place in three weeks. He explained that the provisional LTOPF is issued to allow the transfer or renewal of ownership of a firearm, stressing, “You cannot use it to acquire a new firearm.”
It is valid for nine months.
Dela Rosa admitted that the move had been prompted by complaints from “responsible’’ gun owners who found it difficult to renew or apply for LTOPFs.