Senate thumbs down govt-issued guns for firefighters

March 3 was World Wildlife Day. To mark it, the asean centre for Biodiversity (acb) drew attention to the role of wildlife habitats, most especially forests. It pitched an integrated approach in protecting and conserving wildlife, along with effective immunization programs, which it deems concrete steps towards asean’s recovery as well as in building resilience against future pandemics. Photo provided by acb shows a Burmese elephant couple.

THE Senate, voting 13-4 with two abstension, thumbed down Wednesday a proposal for government to also issue firearms to firefighters.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III initially accepted Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri’s move to table the motion after Senator Grace Poe pointed out that carrying firearms is “not a job of firemen,” but Sotto later called for the division of the house to settle the issue.

This, as Senator Francis Tolentino put on record that “once the proposal (to arm firemen) is accepted, the burden is on Senator Ronald dela Rosa as sponsor” of the plan to arm firefighters.

Sotto noted that Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, however, had asked to first be given a copy of the the proposal “instead of acting on it right now,” so the proposal was tabled.

Zubiri noted, for instance, that firemen are not armed in the United States, prompting Sotto to observe that “when you talk of the Philippines (situation) it is different,” adding that because the issue is “very controversial, it is best we table it.”

For his part, Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former National Police chief like Dela Rosa, sought to be provided clarification from proponents on whether government will “also issue firearms to firemen or just permit to possess.”

Lacson cited Section 4 of the Firearm Law which, he said, provides that “any individual, as long as qualified,” may be issued a firearm, indicating this can be taken to mean “any fireman can qualify.”