Seeking to simplify the “redundant” firearm application process in the country, Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. has proposed that the License to Own and Posses Firearms (LTOPF) and Permit to Carry Firearm Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) be merged into a single license. 

Considering that self-defense from unlawful aggression or any risk of great bodily harm or death is a  vested right of every citizen, he said  the government should guarantee and protect the right of qualified citizens to own and possess firearms.
 
“Individuals with licensed firearms should be given the right to protect ones self, family, property, and others,” said Teves, a member of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.
 
Citing the data from the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management of the Philippine National Police (PNP), he said from 2013 to 2015, 99 percent of firearm-related crimes involved unlicensed firearms. “This means that only one percent of firearm-related crimes involved licensed firearms,” Teves noted.
 
Under House Bill No. 8055 or the “The Right to Protect Oneself, Family and Property Act”, he sought to merge the LTOPF and PTCFOR into a single license. 
 
“The new license will continue to be referred to as the LTOPF. Applicants will be charged a new set of fees depending on the length of validity of their permits and the type of firearms they will be owning and carrying. All firearms are to remain concealed in public spaces,” Teves said. 
 
He noted that at present, both LTOPF and PTCFOR have the same requirements. 
 
“This bill aims to simplify the redundant firearm application process to encourage new and existing owners to have their firearms licensed,” he said. 
 
HB 8055 provides that the procedure and requirements for applying and issuance of LTOPF shall be simplified. 
 
The renewal of the license shall not subject the licensed individual to undergo tests or examinations he or she has previously passed, unless there is clear and justifiable causes to do so, the bill provides.
 
 Under the bill, before an applicant qualifies to own and possess firearms, he or she must be a Filipino citizen; at least 21 years old; has gainful work, occupation or business; drug-free; and of sound mind.
 
Qualified citizens shall have the option to acquire a license valid for five years, or longer if desired, in increments of five years, or for the span of the qualified citizen’s life, according to HB 8055.
 
Unless authorized by the Philippine National Police (PNP),the bill prohibits the carrying of concealed weapon by licensed individuals in the following areas: airports; schools;  Executive, Legislative and Judicial facilities; local government buildings; adult or juvenile detention centers, jails or other correctional institutions; hospitals, mental health facilities and nursing homes; bars; amusement parks; and zoos and museums. 
 
“Congress should exercise its mandate to legislate for the safety and security of the Filipino people,” Teves said in pushing for the passage of his bill.