BATANGAS CITY -- Village chiefs and “tanods” (village peace-keeping and security force) completed on Wednesday their five-day “Gun Safety Comprehensive Law Seminar and Training” at the Gulod Labac Firing Range here, which held in a bid to bring awareness on the legal aspects and responsible gun-ownership, as well as for them to learn the basic rules in gun safety and handling.
“Malaking bagay na mayroong baril ang mga barangay chairmen at tanod dahilan sa sila ang nasa frontline at kailangan nilang proteksyonan ang kanilang sarili at ang komunidad lalo na yuong mga barangay na malayo sa bayan na hindi kaagad marespondehan ng kapulisan kung may krimen (It is important that barangay chairmen and village peacekeepers are armed because they are at the frontline and have to protect themselves and the community, especially for those in remote villages where the police may not immediately respond to a crime),” Rainier Untalan, secretary of the Batangas Rifle and Pistol Group Inc. (BRPG), said.
The village leaders and BRPG host organizers also referred to the Local Governor Code, or Republic Act No. 7160 in Book III (Local Governments) Section 389 (b) on “The Punong Barangay” (village chief), which provides that (b) “in the performance of his peace and order functions, the punong barangay shall be entitled to possess and carry the necessary firearm within his territorial jurisdiction, subject to appropriate rules and regulations”.
The event organizers also pointed out President Rodrigo Duterte’s proposal to the Cabinet to arm barangay officials, who have to work in the fight against crime and illegal drugs in their areas, to either have shotguns or .22 caliber firearms when he addressed a gathering of village leaders in Zamboanga del Sur last June 26.
The five-day training seminar covered sessions from Aug. 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29 with practice shooting and firings at the Gulod Labac firing range.
Untalan said that it is a requirement that a would-be gun owner should undergo a gun safety seminar and other requirements such as neuro-psychiatric examination, drug test, among others before getting a license through the police's “License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF) procedure.
“Responsibilidad din ng gun owner na matutunan ang tamang paraan ng safekeeping ng baril, tamang pag hawak at tamang pagdadala nito (It is also the responsibility of the gun owner to learn the proper way of safekeeping their firearm, proper handling and carrying of the gun),” added Untalan.
He also told the participants that the law requires gun owners to have a safety vault for safekeeping at home and out-of-reach of kids, and that the gun should be placed in a holster while carrying it and must be locked without the ammunition while being kept.
Danny Kalaw, BRPG gun instructor and international range officer, also advised participants that carrying a gun is not simply for self-protection but gun owners ought to know how to safely use this.
Organizers said the inclusion of the tanods was premised on their village peace-keeping work - as front liners in any public disorder, armed encounter, emergencies and even during disasters or man-made calamities that threaten peace and order and public safety.
He also reminded participants on the pertinent laws and possible violations and corresponding penalties faced by the gun owner pursuant to Republic Act 10591, or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act”. (Maroe T. Genosa/PNA)
