Media practitioners, bank workers, priests, physicians and nurses, among other professions, are now qualified to obtain licenses to carry firearms outside of their residence without having to prove their lives are in imminent danger as President Duterte signed a law easing their application requirements.
Republic Act (RA) No. 11766 amended RA 10591, which initially required permit applicants to present a threat assessment certificate that came from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to prove that their lives were in danger.
But the current law now stated that "the following persons are considered to be in imminent danger due to the nature of their profession, occupation or business, and hence are exempted from the requirement of a threat assessment certificate:
1. Members of the Philippine Bar
2. Certified Public Accountants
3. Accredited Media Practitioners
4. Cashiers, Bank Tellers
5. Priests, Ministers, Rabbi, Imams
6. Physicians and Nurses
7. Engineers
8. Businessmen who, by nature of their business or undertaking, are exposed to high risk of being targets of criminal elements
9. Elected incumbent and former officials, and
10. Active and retired military and law enforcement personnel."
The said individuals must now only have to secure a permit to carry firearms to be issued by the chief of the PNP and a permit that is valid for two years upon issuance.
The new law also extended the validity of the license to possess firearms from two years to five or 10 years, at the option of the licensee.
Renewal of the registration of the firearms should now also be done every five or 10 years, instead of four years.