BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – Good news to gun holders with expired licenses: The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) is now accepting applications for renewal of expired gun licenses with no penalty to worry about.
What if they don’t?
Failure to renew and register their firearms would render them liable for illegal possession of firearms, warned Chief Supt. Josephus Angan, regional police director.
Under Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), non-renewal of gun license is punishable.
“We are stepping up our campaign against loose firearms and lawless elements to neutralize guns-for-hire groups,” Angan said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has decided to offer a firearms general amnesty, said Supt. Ledon Monte, regional chief of the PRO-6’s firearms and explosive unit.
One of the purposes of this program is to strengthen the campaign against loose firearms in the region, said Angan.
For the convenience of the applicants, the PRO-6 had requested Camp Crame personnel to come to Iloilo City between August 1 and 8 to process the applications for renewal of gun license and registration of unregistered firearms.
“Instead of going to Camp Crame, the applicants may file their applications for renewal of license here at the PRO-6,” Monte said.
The PRO-6 would likewise be open for a “one-stop-shop” that would accept registration requirements from today up to August 8.
Among the requirements are community certificate or cedula, barangay clearance, authenticated birth certificate, police clearance, latest proof of billing, income tax return, identification card and photo (2×2).
The applicants must have undergone certified gun safety seminar, drug test and neuro-psychological examination.
“They prove that a gun holder is really fit to possess or own a gun,” Monte said.
Under the PNP’s Oplan Katok that started in 2012, the police visited at least 524,000 gun holders nationwide. Of the number, 129,210 used fictitious addresses and could not be located.
Based on records, the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Office said there are some 1.6 million licensed guns nationwide./PN
