'Bitin ang batas': Remulla seeks tougher gun owner accountability after Tacloban attack

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government urged Congress to put more liability on gun owners by strengthening the gun control laws in the country following the deadly school shooting incident in Tacloban.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in a press briefing on Thursday, June 25, that despite having millions of registered firearms in the country, the culpability of gun owners on firearm-related incidents remains minimal under the current laws, 

“I recommend to Congress that they rewrite the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) of gun ownership and responsibility of owning firearms, and to put a criminal aspect into the illegal use or illegal transfer of their guns,” Remulla said.

Remulla reported that they cannot criminally charge anyone in the Tacloban shooting incident, as the suspects, who are both minors, only got the guns they used from their relatives.

“Wala kaming ma-charge dahil bitin ang batas,” he said. 

(We cannot charge anyone because the laws are limited.)

The gun owners, according to Remulla, are only facing civil charges for the incident.

“In Case 1, the firearm used was a service pistol of a police officer. Ang charge lang ay malversation. Walang criminal liability ayon sa batas, pero para sa akin, dapat mayroon,” Remulla said. 

(In Case 1, the firearm used was a service pistol of a police officer. The only charge that can be filed is malversation. There is no criminal liability under the law, but I believe there should be.)

Gun law

Gun ownership in the Philippines is being regulated by the Philippine National Police through the Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

The law provided legal guidelines for individuals who wish to own certain types of firearms, including the processes and requirements that people at least 21 years old need to complete to apply for a license and registration.

Under the law, penalties for irresponsible gun use were also stated, such as in the case of using loose firearms to commit a crime. The term "loose firearm" was defined in the measure as “an unregistered firearm, an obliterated or altered firearm, a firearm which has been lost or stolen, illegally manufactured firearms, registered firearms in the possession of an individual other than the licensee.”

Section 29 of the law states that “the use of a loose firearm, when inherent in the commission of a crime punishable under the Revised Penal Code or other special laws, shall be considered as an aggravating circumstance.”

In the case of the Tacloban shooting, the minors used loose firearms technically owned by an aunt and a grandfather.  

Tacloban shooting 

The Philippine National Police earlier reported that the two suspects in the Tacloban school shooting, aged 14 and 15, used a caliber .38 armscor owned by a security agency in Cebu City and a 9mm Glock 17 issued to a policewoman assigned at Police Regional Office 8.

The policewoman, based on initial investigation, is the aunt of the 14-year-old suspect identified as alias "Nash." 

The 15-year-old suspect, identified as alias "Rod," meanwhile, got the weapon from his grandfather, who was a former security guard. 

At least 34 bullets were fired in the incident. Most of it came from the younger suspect, who also had time to change magazines.

The incident left three students dead and 20 others injured. 

The police said they are yet to investigate how the suspects were able to access the guns.