By Perfecto T. Raymundo
MANILA, July 8 (PNA) — The Gun Owners Action (Go Act) on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Philippine National Police (PNP) from imposing new fees and charges for firearms license and permits.
The gun owners group filed a petition for prohibition and asked the SC to issue an immediate temporary restraining order (TRO) and status quo ante order against the current implementation by the PNP of an alleged excessive firearms licensing fee.
According to the counsel of GO-ACT, Atty. Rodrigo Moreno, the PNP is now collecting excessive fee for gun licensing which appears to be a “revenue generation” of the PNP which is a blatant violation of Republic Act No. 10591, or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act of 2013”.
Under R.A. No. 10591, all individual firearms owners are required to secure a License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF). An LTOPF is classified from Type 1 to Type 5, depending on the number of firearms a person wishes to own and possess.
Moreno clarified that they do not oppose the collection of fees for gun licensing and permit to carry of the gun owners.
He added that what they are questioning is the excessive fees set by the PNP.
Aside from a TRO, the petitioners also asked the SC to order the PNP to proceed with the processing and issuance of gun licenses and permits for the gun owners without additional fees while the case is pending.
The PNP has formulated a schedule of fees and charges for such licenses and permits.
For an LTOPF, the charge is Php1,000 to Php10,000, depending on the LTOPF Type applied for. This is payable every two years.
Likewise, the petitioners also asked the SC to declare as “unconstitutional” the fees currently being imposed by the PNP for firearms licenses and permits, since they are tantamount to a tax measure which only Congress can prescribe. (PNA)