Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) wants to authorize the police to inspect the homes of licensed gun owners to check if firearms are properly kept in a bid to prevent loose weapons used for indiscriminate shooting.
The changes, if any, will take place in the implementing rules and regulations of a firearms law.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla made the proposal during House deliberations on the DILG 2027 budget on Thursday, Aug. 27, in light of school shootings in Tacloban and Zamboanga cities.
He said both crimes involved firearms that were legally issued to or owned by uniformed personnel but were allegedly left unsecured.
“In both cases, the aunt of the Tacloban shooter just left [the firearm] on the table, and in the Zamboanga case, it was left in his car,” the Cabinet official said.
Remulla said protocols place the responsibility of safekeeping to people issued with firearms, to keep these under lock and key when the weapons are not with them.
He said the DILG wants the rules amended to let the police access the homes of people with lawfully issued firearms to inspect safekeeping practices.
Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano asked Remulla to clarify how such inspections would be carried out legally, and the official acknowledged that it could raise concerns about privacy and possible infringement of rights.
“This might upset a few people,” Remulla said, while noting that firearm ownership is a privilege granted by law rather than a constitutional right.
Under the proposal, gun owners would be informed ahead that their premises would be inspected. The police would then check how the firearms are stored and will remind owners of proper safekeeping.
“It is the responsibility of the PNP (Philippine National Police) to inspect how they safekeep their guns and make sure [they are] out of reach of children,” Remulla said.
Under the Constitution, people are protected against unreasonable searches and seizures. It generally requires a warrant issued upon probable cause. While there are exceptions to the warrant requirement, including consent, the secretary has yet to elaborate on what legal mechanism the DILG intends to use to authorize the inspections.
He said more than four million handguns are legally owned nationwide, including those issued to uniformed personnel.
Remulla again called on Congress to repeal Republic Act 8294, informally called the “Robin Padilla Law,” and make possession of loose firearms a non-bailable offense. The moniker came from the conviction of the actor-turned-senator in the 1990s for illegal firearm possession and later received presidential pardon.
The Department of Budget and Management has approved a ₱332.5-billion budget for the DILG.
