Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III has disagreed with President Duterte's proposal to arm anti-crime volunteers to help in law enforcement.

Pimentel, a partymate of Duterte in the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), said that instead of giving civilian groups guns, the government should implement stricter gun ownership rules and laws against illegal firearms.

"On the contrary, rules on gun ownership must be made stricter. The laws against unlicensed firearms must be strictly enforced," he said in a text message sent to reporters.

Pimentel also said that instead of arming civilians, the government should also "train police better".

"Allow reputable experienced foreign police services to visit our PNP under a Visiting Police Forces Agreement so that our PNP can learn from them about crime fighting, solving, and prevention, etc," he said.

"Hire more policemen if necessary," Pimentel also said.

Echoing this was Senator Joel Villanueva, who said that government should just hire more policemen for crime fighting rather than arming volunteers.

“I share the belief of many experts that more police patrols, more officers pounding the beat, and increased police visibility will curb crimes better than guns in the hands of civilian groups. We should invest in smart policing,” he said in a separate statement.

The senator further opined that should Duterte's proposal be adopted into a national policy, it would be difficult for authorities to come up with proper protocols or definite legal bounds for arming anti-crime civilian groups.

“When private individuals are allowed to bear arms for missions reserved for officers of the law, there is the challenge of defining the protocols they should follow,” Villanueva said.

He stressed that training is also essential, but will be "costly".

“Police officers are taught and trained for years to observe rules of engagement. Who will provide that costly education to what would essentially become urban CAFGUs?” he asked.

“A CCTV network has greater deterrent value than licensed vigilantes roaming the streets. A responsive 911 system that can scramble policemen to scenes of crime in minutes and not in ages will send the message that crime will be stopped and the public will be protected," he also suggested.

Peace and order, Villanueva said, is “one government function that should not be privatized or deregulated because, on paper, there is no shortage of military and civilian uniform personnel under arms." Like Pimentel, he said authorities should rather address the proliferation of illegal firearms.

“The call that more civilians be deputized to carry out police work is already answered by current firearms laws that allow professionals like lawyers, CPAs, cashiers, bank tellers, religious workers, engineers, business to own and carry one if their work or business makes them a high risk targets of criminals,” Villanueva pointed out.

Duterte on Friday, June 25, raised the proposal of allowing qualified anti-crime cilivian groups to own and carry guns to aid law enforcers in chasing suspected criminals.

"You are not supposed to die. The criminal must die, you must live," he said during the launch of the Global Coalitio of Lingkod bayan Advocacy Support Groups and Force Multupliers in Quezon City.

Backing the President's suggestion, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Guillermo Eleazar allayed fears on the proposed arming of anti-crime civilians, saying it would rather "encourage volunteerism and definitely not vigilantism".