Armed civilians vs criminals?
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is in favor of arming civilians to help fight against criminality in the Queen City of the South.
The mayor said he desires to allow his constituents to take up arms against criminals as a form of anti-criminality effort.
He said civilians fall victim to criminals because they are defenseless.
"It is the law abiding citizen who are punished. A man has the right to defend himself and he should be able to defend his family," Osmeña said during yesterday's press conference for the 26th Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines, Incorporated (AFAD) gun show.
Fed up with the spate of killings, he said he has plans to institutionalize the process of gun licensing here to provide easier access to the people in the city.
He said he would rather have a city of disciplined gun owners than that of defenseless ones, adding that owning a gun is a matter of attitude.
"You cannot expect the police to be there. I'm here to stand up on gun ownership," the mayor said.
On the other hand, getting a gun license or a permit to carry firearms outside of residence (PTCFOR) has been made easier to boost responsible ownership and reduce the number of loose guns.
Gun owners and applicants will no longer have to travel to Manila to obtain a PTCFOR, according to AFAD.
AFAD will be bringing the Philippine National Police (PNP) Caravan, which is designed to bring convenience to applicants for license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF and firearms registration, to the gun show.
In a press statement, AFAD President Jethro Dionisio, also a worldclass shooting champion, said PTCFOR applications will be accommodated at the AFAD-Defense and Sporting Arms Show (DSAS)-Cebu on April 5 to 8 at a mall located in the North Reclamation Area.
"Firearm owners no longer need to travel all the way to Manila to apply for a PTCFOR. We will be bringing the service within their reach," said worldclass shooting champion and AFAD President Jethro Dionisio in a press statement.
Gun license applicants can also avail of the LTOPF, and provisional license to own and possess firearms (PLTOPF) at the gun show, which will showcase the finest collection of firearms.
The show will also offer different services, such as neuro-psychiatric exam, drug test, and acquisition of National Bureau Investigation and PNP clearances, among others.
Applicants are required to bring any valid government identification card and a fee of P200 to avail of the said services. For a complete list of requirements and procedure, the details are published on the DSAS Facebook page.
To avoid long queues, those who want to apply or renew their gun license can just log on to www.afad.ph/ dsas for pre-registration.
The entrance fee for adults is P150 while for senior citizens is P120 and P80 for PNP personnel.
The DSAS aims to uphold responsible firearm ownership and to promote the firearms and ammunition industry, as well as shooting as a sport.