Rifle-carrying civilians can help defend Phl — AFP

Allowing qualified civilians to own high-powered firearms like rifles, as long as they are not capable of full automatic fire, could strengthen the country’s defensive posture, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said yesterday.

The AFP said it would welcome gun owners joining the military’s reserve force following the revision by the Philippine National Police of the implementing rules and regulations of the firearms law.

AFP spokesperson, Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, said the amended IRR could benefit the country’s reservist force.

“On one hand, that’s another plus because we are enjoining a lot of reservists to join us in our greater challenge of external defense,” Padilla said.

“If that is already in the law and the handling of weapons is legal and they know responsible gun handling, then that will not be posing any issue,” she added.

Padilla’s counterpart in the PNP, Col. Jean Fajardo, assured the public that there are enough safeguards in place to allow civilians to own semiautomatic rifles using military rounds like the caliber .223 or 7.62mm.

Before the change in the IRR, civilians could only own rifles in pistol calibers like 9mm and .45, among others. Rifle rounds have much higher velocities compared to pistols.

“There are enough safeguards that have been put in place so that not just anyone will be able to avail of this privilege to possess and own small arms,” Fajardo said.

She said that Filipinos of legal age can qualify to own firearms, but only after meeting stringent requirements, like passing neuropsychiatric and drug tests.

Aspiring gun owners should also show proof of income and a police clearance.

However, the Gunless Society of the Philippines warned that mass shootings like those regularly happening in the United States could also happen in the Philippines with the revision of the IRR of the gun law.

Geo-political experts noted that in the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, the latter’s citizens were unable to use their compulsory military training to defend themselves because of the difficulty of civilians to own guns in Israel.

Israel has since relaxed its rules on civilians owning and carrying firearms.