MANILA: Secretary Jonvic Remulla proposed making charges related to unregistered firearms punishable by jail terms of up to 20 years long in a bid to combat gun-related violence.
“Now, when you catch someone with loose firearms, it’s bailable. You can just post bail. You have a record, but it’s bailable, then you go to a hearing,” Remulla said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 25).
“I’m asking Congress to take steps to make it non-bailable and to make it [punishable by a jail term of] 20 years,” he added.
Remulla previously called on lawmakers to make charges related to loose firearms a nonbailable offense by amending Republic Act No. 8294, colloquially known as the “Robin Padilla Law.”
The secretary’s proposal was in response to the fatal school shootings in Tacloban City on June 22 and Zamboanga City on Aug 18, both involving government-issued firearms wielded by their owners’ minor relatives.
The DILG chief earlier explained that, in both incidents, the gun owners themselves may only face charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, which is punishable by prison correccional or up to six years of imprisonment.
According to Remulla, he was expecting his push for tougher gun laws to be addressed by Congress by next January.
“Gun ownership also carries with it gun responsibility. The government should have the right to inspect their homes at any time and to see if the guns are in safekeeping at any time,” he said.
“It is a privilege granted in the Philippines. It is a privilege, not a right,” he added.
The DILG chief particularly highlighted that, in the wake of both the Tacloban and Zamboanga incidents, law enforcement agencies must review their firearm policies.
“We have to be strict with all our policies with uniformed personnel and let them realise the gravity of the situation that’s happening,” Remulla said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
