Group urges veto of bills relaxing gun control policies

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Group urges veto of bills relaxing gun control policies

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA — Non-government organization Climate Conflict Action Asia is urging President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to veto proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act that is said could “pose serious threats to public safety and peace.”

House Bill 11539 and Senate Bill 2895, both proposing amendments to the gun regulation law, have been approved on third and final reading.

The bills seek the following amendments:

1. Increase the limit on ammunition purchase to 500 rounds for non-sport shooters and 5,000 for sport shooters

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2. Extend the validity of permits to carry firearms to five years from two

3. Shorten the gun ban to 45 days before election day and 5 days after. Currently, the gun ban is effective 90 days from election day and 30 days after.

CCAA — which monitors conflict, especially in the Bangsamoro region — said extended permits should come with strict requirements and regular monitoring to avoid “feeding the interests of those who want to use their weapons whenever they need to.”

It also argued that only the Commission on Elections has the Constitutional mandate to amend the gun ban period.

According to the Philippine National Police, a total of 3,616 arrests were made during the six-month nationwide elections gun ban from January 12 to June 11.

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About 100 election-related incidents were recorded, which is more than triple the 2022 elections’ 27 ERIs.

BANGSAMORO ELECTION

The long gun ban period is essential as the Bangsamoro region conducts its “most decisive, significant, and game-changing” election after signing the peace agreement, CCAA said.

“It is illogical, if not outright dangerous and risky, to shorten the gun ban when the first-ever Parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro is expected in October 2025,” it said.

CCAA’s data showed that 759 election-related violence were committed in the Bangsamoro region from October 2024 to the days after the May 2025 midterm elections.

May 2025 alone recorded 171 violent incidents.

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CCA PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO COMBAT RAMPANT ILLEGAL FIREARM USE

CCAA urged the President and the Congress to include four points in the law to solve the rampant illegal firearm use.

  1. Create a dedicated PNP unit or a Joint Task Force to combat illicit firearms trafficking and possession
  2. Strengthen firearms registration in the Bangsamoro: Dismantle ceasefire mechanisms that pose barriers against regulation of MILF firearms and create municipal level one-stop shops for the registration of weapons excluded from the decommissioning process
  3. Deconstruct confiscated illegal firearms immediately
  4. Increase penalties for perpetrators of gun-related violence, firearms law, and those involved in the sale, transfer, and transport of illegal firearms

“Currently, the proposed bill contains amendments that are steps backward for peace, public safety, and democratic stability,” the group asserted.

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