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House panel OKs extension of gun license validity period

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="People visit the Tactical, Survival, and Arms Expo during its opening as a hybrid expo in SM Megamall on July 15, 2021. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/11/16/20210715-tactical-survival-arms-expo-md-31.jpg"/><figcaption>People visit the Tactical, Survival, and Arms Expo during its opening as a hybrid expo in SM Megamall on July 15, 2021. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - A proposed measure extending the validity period of gun licenses was approved Tuesday by the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.During the panel&#x27;s 4th hearing on the proposed substitute bill for Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, its members endorsed extending the validity period of a license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) to at least 5 years.Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnie Teves Jr., meanwhile, proposed removing the mandatory periodic neuropsychiatric examination and drug test for gun owners.“Okay na lang tayo ‘don sa 5 to 10 years &#x27;yung LTOPF. Pero wala nang in between na neuropsychiatric (examination) ... Okay na &#x27;yun para matapos na ‘to. Meron lang akong concern sa drug test… You all know I am a former drug addict. It only takes 4 days to clean up yourself. If you were a drug addict ... magpahinga ka lang ng 4 na araw, on the 5th day, you will already be definitely negative,” he said.(I&#x27;m okay with the extension of the LTOPF to 5 to 10 years. But the neuropsychiatric examination... should be removed. I have concerns with the drug test... You all know I am a former drug addict. It only takes 4 days to clean up yourself. If you were a drug addict... you only need to rest for 4 days, and on the 5th day, you will already test negative.)Brig. Gen. Rommil Mitra, director of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosive Division, said the two requirements are part of the PNP&#x27;s system to scrutinize aspiring gun owners.“These processes are tools to regulate and to check &#x27;yung ating mga firearms holders. Kaya &#x27;yung posisyon po ng PNP is to have this regular checking of the capacity ng ating firearm holder,&quot; Mitra said.(The PNP&#x27;s position on this is we need to conduct regular checking of our firearm holders&#x27; capacity to carry.)Teves argued that undergoing psychiatric tests is the same with renewing LTOPF, and an additional burden for both the PNP and applicants.“Lagyan na lang natin ng colatilla that it is still revocable or until revoked. Your LTOPF is valid lifetime until revoked. So if there is any question on your sanity or what, may magreklamo lang, that’s when you get a test para hindi lahat kailangang mag-undergo from time to time,&quot; he said.(We should add a collatilla that the LTOPF is still revocable, or until revoked. Your LTOPF is valid lifetime until revoked. So if there is any question on your sanity or what, someone complains, that’s when you get a test so everybody does not need to undergo it from time to time.)Teves claimed that based on statistics, only few gun owners have gone &quot;crazy&quot;.But Mitra said his office should consult first with the PNP Chief regarding the proposal.He added he will also look into the lawmakers&#x27; suggestion to merge the LTOPF and firearm registration.&quot;We believe, Sir, that the concerns of the LTOPF (are) the gun owner, while the firearms registration is the gun itself. So these two are different things. So maybe it would be better that we have separate cards for these two,” he said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/10/21/guns-for-firefighters-duterte-signs-new-bfp-bill">&#x27;If you don&#x27;t see a gun, you won&#x27;t obey:&#x27; Duterte signs BFP bill arming firefighters</a></li></ul><div>END OF THREAT ASSESSMENT CERTIFICATE?</div>The committee&#x27;s chair, Masbate 1st District Rep. Narciso Bravo Jr, meanwhile, pushed for the exemption of individuals considered in &quot;imminent danger&quot; in requiring threat assessment certificate for gun owners.“There was a proposal that those mentioned as persons who are considered as an imminent danger be exempt already from the requirement of threat assessment certificate. Wala nga eh (elected officials), parang unfair naman &#x27;yun. Ilagay natin na &#x27;yung mga elected officials, kasi elected na rin sila ng mga tao. I think they also have the privilege to be exempt from security threat assessment certificate,&quot; Bravo said.(There is no mention about elected officials, which is kind of unfair. We should also include elected officials, since they are elected by the people.)&quot;Parang automatic naman &#x27;yun. Pagka-elected official ka dito sa Pilipinas, lalo na sa amin sa Masbate, huwag niyo nang hanapan ng threat assessment, palagi kaming may threat,&quot; he added.(That&#x27;s kind of automatic. If you&#x27;re an elected official in the Philippines, especially in our province of Masbate, you don&#x27;t need threat assessment, because we are always under threat.)Teves also proposed including the families of such individuals in the exemption.&quot;Idagdag na natin &#x27;yung direct family members because normally, ang direct family members are automatically under threat,&quot; he said.(Direct family members should be included.)The PNP, however, said it would be better to concentrate on individuals who are in direct danger.&quot;We believe that we have to concentrate on the principal, Sir,&quot; Mitra said.He added the possible exemption of regular gun club members who frequently join shooting competitions is also complicated.“Ang aming concern dito, &#x27;yung mga tao na hindi naman member ng club and then representation niya is isa siyang shooter. &#x27;Yung abuse, Sir, ang aming concern kung i-exempt natin ang isang particular group. I believe we need another safety measure para hindi maabuso,&quot; he explained.(Our concern here is there are non-members who then misrepresent themselves as shooters. The abuse is our concern if we exempt a particular group.)According to Joselito Nuevo of the Philippine Shooters and Match Confederation, sports shooters have another type of LTOPF. So, it is hard to abuse the proposed exemption. He noted sport shooters pay a different fee for this license.&quot;May extra fees po yun para doon. So sa isyu na baka maabuso, I don’t think it will happen, kasi for you to apply for a sport shooter status, meron pong certification galing sa gun club na accredited at current. Kung wala pong accreditation from the gun club President, hindi po siya makakapag-apply ng status na sports shooter,&quot; he said.(There are extra fees. On the issue of possible abuse, I don’t think it will happen because for you to apply for a sport shooter status, you need certification from accredited and current gun clubs. If you don&#x27;t have accreditation from the gun club President, you can&#x27;t apply for status as a sports shooter.)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/29/21/pnp-wont-give-firearms-to-civilians-chief-eleazar-clarifies">PNP won&#x27;t give firearms to civilians, chief Eleazar clarifies</a></li></ul>The PNP will submit its official position paper on Sunday.Bravo said that if the PNP chief will not oppose the proposed removal of periodic neuropsychiatric examination of gun owners, his panel will soon set the bill for plenary debate.<div>— Report from Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News</div><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1763301" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety on Tuesday approved the proposed bill extending the validity period of gun licenses.