Aquino signs Comprehensive Gun Law
President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on May 29
Republic Act 10591 “An Act Providing for Comprehensive Law on Firearms and
Ammunition and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof,” the Palace
announced on Saturday.
Among the salient features of the new law are
the standards and prerequisites for the issuance or obtaining a license to own
and possess a firearm, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said
Saturday in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
The standard requires an applicant for a gun
license to be a Filipino citizen; at least 21 years old; has gained full work
occupation or business or has filed an income tax return for the preceding year
as proof of income, profession, business or occupation.
The applicant has not been convicted of any
crime involving moral turpitude, has passed the psychiatric test administered
by a Philippine National Police (PNP) accredited psychologist or psychiatrist.
The applicant must also pass the drug test
conducted by an accredited and authorized drug testing laboratory or clinic.
Those applying for a gun license must also pass
the gun safety seminar administered by the PNP or a registered or authorized
gun club. The applicant has to file in writing the application to possess a
registered firearm indicating the personal circumstances why he or she needs to
own a firearm.
Applicants must get a police clearance to prove
that they weren’t convicted or accused in a pending criminal case punishable
with a penalty of more than two years. They must also pay the reasonable gun
licensing fees.
The law also has a provision for carrying
firearms outside of residence or place of business and gun owners must have a
permit to carry (PTC) firearms. A qualified person may apply for a PTC if he or
she is under actual threat or is in imminent danger due to the nature of his or
her profession, occupation or business.
The law specifies professionals who are
considered to be in imminent danger due to the nature of their profession,
occupation or business and these include the members of the Philippine Bar,
certified public accountants (CPA), accredited media practitioners, cashiers,
bank tellers, priests, ministers, rabbis and imams, physicians, nurses, and
engineers.
Businessmen, who by nature of their business or
undertaking, are exposed to the high risk of being targets of criminal elements
are also allowed to apply for PTC.
Section 10 of the Republic Act 10591 also
specifies the firearms that may be registered, Valte said. Only small firearms
may be registered by licensed citizens or licensed juridical entities for
ownership, possession and concealed carrying.
A light weapon shall be lawfully acquired or
possessed exclusively by the AFP, the PNP and other law enforcement agencies
authorized by the President in the performance of their duties. All firearms
must be registered at the PNP.
Firearms for use in sports and competitions also
require licensing.
Firearms and ammunitions manufacturers must also
apply for licenses, Valte explained. Both locally manufactured and imported
firearms must also be registered as mandated by the new law.
Gun stores are also required to have a license
to deal based on the new law for the purchase and sale of guns, as well as
general business in handling firearms and ammunitions. Gunsmiths must also
apply for a license for them to repair registered firearms.
The new law also requires gun owners to renew
their licenses every two years on or before the date of expiration. If they
fail to renew their licenses, the PNP will revoke them and this also entails
confiscation of the fire arm.
The new law will take effect 15 days from its
publication in a newspaper of nationwide circulation. PND (as)
President Aquino approves amendments to revised
penal code
President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on May 29
Republic Act 10592, or “An Act Amending Articles 29, 94, 97, 98, and 99 of Act
3815, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Revised Penal Code, the Palace said
Saturday.
Under Article 29 of the Revised Penal Code, the
local jail shall entitle a prisoner to the following deductions from the period
of his sentence for good behavior:
During the first two years of imprisonment, the
prisoner shall be allowed a deduction of 20 days for each month of good
behavior during detention;
In the third to the 5th year, inclusive, of his
imprisonment, he shall be allowed a deduction of twenty-three days for each
month of good behavior during detention;
During the following years until the 10th year,
inclusive, of his imprisonment, the prisoner shall be allowed a deduction of 25
days for each month of good behavior during detention;
And in the 11th and successive years of his
imprisonment, he shall be allowed a deduction of 30 days for each month of good
behavior during detention; and
At any time during the period of imprisonment,
he shall be allowed another deduction of 15 days, in addition to numbers one to
four for each month of study, teaching or mentoring service time rendered.
The law states that an appeal by the accused
shall not deprive him of entitlement to the allowances for good conduct.
The implementing rules and regulations of the
amended law will be promulgated by the secretary of the Department of Justice
and the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government within
60 days from the approval of the act. PND (as)
Aquino wants thorough inquiry into Serendra
blast
President Benigno S. Aquino III wants government
agencies to pool their expertise to determine the cause of an explosion in
Serendra Place in Global City, Taguig that killed six people.
“Ang mahigpit na bilin ng Pangulo sa mga
concerned government agencies ay kailangan nating malaman kung ano ang
nangyari, ano ang source ng explosion, at kailangan ‘yung mga findings nila, it
must stand the scrutiny of anybody,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail
Valte said in an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
Valte said that among those who rushed to Taguig
Friday night were the members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI),
the Philippine National Police’s SOCO, the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH), Bureau of Fire Protection and personnel from the Armed Forces
of the Philippines (AFP).
“The President also stressed na kailangan there
must be great cooperation between all the agencies who are there. At sinabi niya
na as soon as possible, dapat magkaroon na sila ng mga resulta at siguraduhin
nila na base sa ebidensiyang makakalap ang kanilang magiging conclusion,” she
added.
The Palace official said President Aquino also
wanted the public to stop making speculations and wait for the result of the
ongoing investigation.
Valte said that since the investigation is
already ongoing at this point, it would be counterproductive if people hurled
baseless allegations regarding Friday’s incident.
“So it is good for everybody at this point to
allow the investigators to do their work, at hintayin natin. Kasi mahigpit
talaga ang bilin ng Pangulo sa kanila na kung ano man ang mahanap nila ay
siguraduhin na ang konklusyon ay magiging base doon sa mga makakalap na
ebidensya,” she said.
Valte also made an assurance that there will be
no cover-up in the ongoing inquiry and the government will make the result
public once investigators piece together evidence of what caused the blast in
Serendra Place.
Asked if there’s a need to implement additional
safety measures in condominiums in Metro Manila, Valte said such move will
depend on the outcome of the investigation.
“If there are any specific measures to be
undertaken in light of what had happened Friday night that will depend on the
findings of the investigative team,” Valte said.
Reports said the death toll in the explosion has
risen to six, including the crew of a passing delivery van that was hit by
debris, authorities said Saturday.
The explosion created a large hole in the wall
in Serendra Place building and sent concrete chunks flying into the street
below killing three people in the delivery van.
The Office of Civil defense reported recovering
three more bodies at the Serendra Place building. Five others, including a
9-year-old, were injured.
Authorities are looking into a gas supply issue
as the possible cause of the explosion. Residents were evacuated as officials
conducted their investigation. PND (as)
DOH working with World Health Organization in
tackling with new coronavirus, says Palace
The Department of Health (DOH) is aware of the
spread of a SARS-like virus particularly in the Middle East and the department
is closely coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) to fight the
disease, the Palace said.
“I will defer to the Secretary of Health for the
explanation on what it is. But essentially, we want to assure the public that
the DOH is already aware of this situation, and that it is closely working with
the WHO on any updates or any progress in the situation,” Deputy Presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan
on Saturday.
Airport and port scanners remain in place to
check passengers arriving in the country particularly those coming from the
Middle East, where most of the cases were reported, Valte said.
There is still no need for the government to
issue heightened alert at this point and the normal procedures in the country’s
airports will continue, she added.
Some quarters have expressed fear about the
spread of the infection because many Filipinos work in the Middle East
particularly in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and other countries.
The WHO said this week that the new SARS-like virus
recently found in humans is “a threat to the entire world.”
The so-called novel coronavirus is not a problem
that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself and
the world must pull together its resources to properly address the virus, WHO
said.
Novel coronavirus is part of a family called
coronaviruses, which cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to SARS, or
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as well as a variety of animal diseases. The
new virus however is different from SARS.
The virus had infected 44 people worldwide as of
last week, most of them in the Middle East, according to the WHO. The world
health body has called the novel coronavirus Middle East respiratory symptom
coronavirus, or MERS-CoV.
Novel coronavirus acts like a cold virus and
attacks the respiratory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
The symptoms are severe and can lead to
pneumonia and kidney failure. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea have
also been seen, according to the WHO.
Experts said it’s not yet known how humans
contract the virus but they observed that most of the cases so far have been
seen in older men with other medical conditions.
Cases have been identified in eight countries
including France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, according to
the World Health Organization. PND (as)
