The law that became controversial over claims and arguments as to who really crafted and enacted it into law is actually the reason behind the surge of crimes in the country, that is according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Remulla is referring to the Republic Act No. 11766, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which is now being referred to as the “Robin Padilla Law” over claims that the actor-turned senator was the one who crafted and passed it into law.

“The Robin Padilla Law, which extinguished culpability and made it a bailable offense, has led to a surge in crimes precisely because loose firearms is a bailable offense,” said Remulla in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Possession of loose firearms was a non-bailable offense before, but there was an amendment done that made the penalties lighter if the loose guns were not used in committing crimes.

In 2011, then Philippine National Police chief Nicanor Bartolome said illegal possession of firearms must be a non-bailable offense over incidents of shootings before.

Remulla issued the statement following the gun attack inside the Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday, Aug. 18 when a Grade 9 student engaged in shooting before taking his own life.

Two students died in the incident—the shooter and a Grade 10 student—while two others were injured.

Like the incident that happened in a school in Tacloban City, Remulla said the gun used by the Ateneo de Zamboanga shooter is government issued as it is owned by his father who worked at the Bureau of Customs.

In the Tacloban incident, the 9mm pistol was a police-issued firearm that was stolen by her 14-year old nephew who engaged in a shooting rampage. Three people died in the Tacloban City school gun attack while more than 20 were injured.

For Remulla, there must be stricter accountability measures for the owners of the firearms that were made accessible to the minors and were used in coming crimes and other incidents that compromised peace and order in the community.

He explained that in cases of minors using firearms from their parents and guardians, they are only treated as juvenile delinquents while the penalty to the gun owners is reckless imprudence.

In the case of gun attacks involving children, Remulla asked, “Isn’t the owner of the gun equally responsible?”

But more than the accountability of registered gun owners, Remulla also cited the effects of the gun law with lenient accountability rules.

Citing data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), he said 98 percent of gun-related crimes were committed using loose firearms.

For Remulla, it is high time that the Congress act on the problem:

“I call upon Congress to make laws that make it once again non-bailable, that make it once again preventable.”