Gun ban ends after June 9

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June 9, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Gun ban will no longer be implemented after June 9, the Philippine National Police (PNP) informed. However, the PNP will continue the enforcement of checkpoints to prevent the proliferation of firearms.

This means that on June 10, gun holders with a permit to carry firearm outside residence (PTCFOR) could bring their firearms with them already. Stricter measures on gun control will be put in place instead of extending the gun ban’s effectivity, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

The proposed stricter gun policies include limiting the security details for politicians and VIPs (Very Important Persons), and stricter requirements for those who are seeking a Permit to Carry Firearms Outside Residence (PTCFOR).

The PNP will also impose stricter penalties for those who will be caught possessing unlicensed firearms or guns with expired licenses.

A separate post-summit conference has been planned to be held next week to formulate a more comprehensive gun ownership policy.

It would be recalled that the gun ban went into effect on January 10, after the Commission on Elections ordered it in place as part of implementing election law as applied to the recent May 10 polls.

Nearly 3,000 individuals, including some 200 government employees, have been apprehended during the period.

There was a proposal for the extension of the effectivity of gun ban showing the result of the survey conducted at the National Capital Region where 73.8 percent of the 400 respondents believe the total gun ban should remain in force after June 9.