Resumption of firearms licensing urged

FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–A group of gun and ammunition dealers has asked the Supreme Court to compel the Philippine National Police to resume the licensing of firearms, which they claimed had stopped for the past five months, resulting in huge losses for the industry.

Guns and Ammo Dealers Association of the Philippines filed on June 6 a petition for mandamus with prayer for issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or writ of preliminary injunction against the PNP, PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) and PNP Civil Security Group.

In its 11-page petition, the group said that since January, the PNP had “totally ceased to process and approve any firearms licenses … and as a result … there had been no releases of any firearms to customers, with very few selected exceptions to privileged individuals.”

The group, which is composed of 50 licensed firearms dealers nationwide, claimed the PNP’s nonaction had affected their customers and the firearm business and industry, which had to lay off about 1,200 employees due to zero sales.

“Petitioner is aware of the temporary restraining order issued by the (Supreme Court) in another case … which ordered the PNP to accept, process and approve licensing and renewals in the PNP regional offices and reopen all PNP … satellite offices … However, the PNP has refused to comply with such order and has issued its own interpretation of the TRO by claiming that only renewal of licenses be allowed in … the PNP regional offices but not licensing and approval of new licenses, which are still being required to be done in Camp Crame, Quezon City,” the petitioners said.–Christine O. Avendaño