Reforms to weapons laws are approved by Senate and Congress
Late Wednesday, both the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified a bicameral conference report on the measure, which amends the country's gun regulation law, including the extension of the validity of all types of licenses to possess firearms and ammunition, and will soon be forwarded to President Duterte for signature.
During their respective sessions, both chambers of Congress reconciled the conflicting provisions of Senate Bill No. 1155 and House Bill No. 10610, and approved a unified bill amending Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, to extend the validity period of the license to own and possess firearms, as well as the permit to carry firearms.
Under the measure, all licenses to possess a firearm, regardless of type or classification, will be renewed every five or 10 years—instead of every two years as mandated by the current law—at the option of the licensee, which shall be reckoned from the birthdate of the licensee unless sooner suspended or revoked.
Renewal of registrations of firearms will likewise be extended to five or 10 years instead of every four years under the bill.
"We are extending license validity to promote more responsible gun ownership," said Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the bill's author and coauthor, on Wednesday.
"The easier we make the registration and renewal procedure, the better we will be able to account for every firearm and carrier in the country," he added.
Zubiri believed that the new proposal would encourage “gun owners to register and not be put off by bureaucratic processes.”
"In this way, we expect to account for all guns in the country, and we hope to have fewer criminal actions utilizing unlicensed and unregulated firearms," he stated.
The Philippine National Police will create the new measure's implementing rules and regulations for the country's more than 1.7 million licensed gun owners.
The bill also acknowledges two new classes of people who are excluded from the need for a threat assessment certificate due to the dangers presented by their profession: elected incumbent and previous officials, as well as active and retired military and law enforcement professionals.
Furthermore, the legislation stipulates that a license to carry a handgun outside of one's home or place of business is only valid for two years from the day the application is approved, unless sooner suspended or revoked.
#GunLicense #LicenseToCarry #PermitToCarry #LTOPF
SOURCE: Inquirer
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