The Philippine National Police (PNP) is eyeing the imposition of lifetime firearms ownership prohibition to all the violators of the election gun ban amid cases of gun attacks that include the recent road rage incident in Antipolo City.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said such drastic measures are necessary for the government to send a strong message that any violation of the gun ban is not acceptable and must have consequences.

“We want to have a lifetime ban (to own a gun) for gun ban violators. We need this because incidents like this should not happen,” said Marbil in an interview during his visit in Antipolo City to honor the policemen who responded to the road rage incident. 

He is referring to the Antipolo road rage incident wherein a driver of a sports utility vehicle shot four people in what appeared to be a case of road rage.

The nationwide gun ban, which started on Jan, 12 and will be in effect until June 11 this year, is aimed at containing the proliferation of firearms, which authorities said are the main instrument in election violence and intimidation.

Based on the latest PNP data, more than 1,900 persons were already apprehended since the gun ban took effect, most of them are in Metro Manila, followed by Central Luzon with 279 and Central Visayas with 273. 

More than 2,000 firearms, on the other hand, were confiscated so far.

Violators of gun ban are usually charged with violation of the Omnibus Election Code.

And this time, Marbil said that additional punishment must be imposed: “Lifetime ban (of gun ownership) is what we want to impose.”

The Philippine National Police regulates the gun ownership in the coountry through the Firearms and Explosives Office.