Benguet solon to start probe on centralized gun licensing

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The centralized issuance of gun licenses by the Philippine National Police is anti-poor, impractical and an added burden to responsible gunholders that could result to proliferation of loose firearms in the coming months, Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan said here last week.

The lawmaker said he is willing to sponsor a House resolution calling for an inquiry on the circumstances that compelled the PNP leadership to close the operation of its satellite offices processing gun licenses and permits and for the centralized issuance of such licenses which could result to numerous firearms that will no longer be renewed for practicality purposes.

“It will be easy for us to determine what kind of schemes are again involved in this matter,” Cosalan said.

He claimed even policemen using their private firearms in discharging their duties and responsibilities due to the lack of sufficient firearms to be issued to the law enforcers are complaining on the difficulty of renewing the licenses and permits of their firearms considering that it has become costly on their part for them to travel to Camp Crame just to process their gun licenses.

According to him, ordinary gunholders cannot afford the expensive travel to Manila for the renewal of their firearm licenses and permits, especially that the processing is not done for only a day but for several days, thus, an added expense on their part

 “We call on our gunholders to formalize their complaints and get their acts together so that we can initiate the necessary congressional inquiry and formulate appropriate solutions to address their valid issues against the centralized issuance of gun licenses,” Cosalan said.

He warned the PNP leadership to immediately come out with a decisive action on the issues being raised by responsible gunholders before it will be too late which could result to the proliferation of loose firearms that could be used for illegal activities thereby defeating the purpose of the new comprehensive gun control measure.

“The PNP leadership must also effectively and efficiently answer the valid allegations that the centralized issuance of firearm licenses is for fund-raising purposes,” Cosalan added.

If the same is true, he tossed back the question to the PNP on the purpose of the fund-raising and for whoever the personality behind such controversial decision.

Cosalan said centralized issuance of gun licenses would result to a heavy loss of income on the part of the government once responsible gunholders decide not to renew or process the licenses of their guns thereby significantly affecting the national government’s revenue generation efforts.

 Comparing the situation of Luzon gunholders to those in Visayas and Mindanao, Cosalan said those gunholders in Visayas and Mindanao are the ones who will greatly suffer from the centralized issuance of gun licenses and permits because of the huge expenses that they will entail in their air or water or by land travel among other incidental expenses.

“We also have some doubts when the PNP suddenly decided to practice the centralized issuance of gun licenses, thus, the PNP leadership will have a lot of explaining to do to satisfy all the issues and concerns of the affected sector before the situation goes out of control,” Cosalan said.