MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will begin enforcing a nationwide gun ban on January 12, the start of the election period for the May 2025 midterm elections.
According to PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, the authorities will conduct checkpoints in strategic locations as part of efforts to secure the elections.
As a general rule, only bona fide police, military, and members of government law enforcement agencies in complete uniform and while on official duty are allowed to bear firearms during the election period.
However, said Fajardo, exempted from the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-imposed firearms prohibition may be secured from the Committee on Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns.
“For those not included in the executive list of exemptions, if they wish to bring firearms outside of their respective residences and places of business, they have to apply for a certificate of authority from Comelec so that they can be exempted,” Fajardo said.
“Otherwise, if they do not have a certificate of authority to be issued by committee on the ban of firearms and security concerns, then they have to follow the gun ban on Jan. 12,” she added.
Fajardo further said that all police units continue to intensify the crackdown on private armed groups (PAGs) and loose firearms ahead of midterm elections.
“We continue to monitor these PAGs and the order of our chief PNP (Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil) is to keep a close watch on these PAGs to make sure that these are not used by any politician or group to influence the elections,” Fajardo said./PN
