PNP Chief Allan Purisima ordered the closure of all satellite licensing offices of the PNP in order to centralize gun licensing in its Camp Crame Office in Metro Manila. This will correct what Malacanang said was the 60 to 70% spurious or fictitious information submitted by gun holders when they applied for license both in the PNP Central Office and the satellite offices in its regional headquarters in the country. I am afraid this is exactly the measure or formula that will increase the number of loose firearms in the country. It will only generate more problems than it sought to correct. According to Communications Secretary Coloma in expressing the support of Malacanang to the measure, “some names, addresses or pictures of the licensed firearms owners do not match, it raised doubts and concerns on the integrity of these records.” He said that centralizing firearms registry operations in Metro Manila will further raise the integrity of the firearms registry system of the PNP. There are 1.7 million registered firearms in the country today.

Malacanang thinks that making gun license holder or those who want to register their firearms to travel to Manila would not pose a problem because “those who could afford to buy guns can afford to travel to Manila to have their firearms registered properly.” It is no surprise that organization of licensed gun owners complained against this move because not only will they be made to travel to Manila to personally register their guns or renew their license, they will also be made to pay for the delivery of their license cards by Werfast Documentary Agency that was awarded a five-year contract in May 2011 but was registered only by the Securities and Exchange Commission in August 2011. Centralizing the firearms licensing operation in Manila will make it difficult for licensed firearm holders to renew or for those who would like to register their firearms for the first time. Tendency is, gun holders will likely not register their guns anymore. This will increase the number of loose firearms in the country. And to think that almost 98% of homicide and murder is perpetrated with the use of firearms.

If the problem is the spurious data in the system why not install a new and better system in the central office and in all the satellite offices? Firearms holders will not mind paying a few more pesos at the satellite offices rather than travel to Metro Manila. If the data of the system at the satellite offices are spurious, wouldn't the data in the Metro Manila Office be also spurious? It is the same system as that at the satellite offices. That is why they are called satellite offices because they are using the same system as the one at Camp Crame. So unless a new system is installed, what will make the licensing center at Camp Crame better than those of the closed satellite licensing centers? There is a very big flaw in the logic of closing the satellite firearms licensing centers because the data they have are dubious. What PNP needs are trained personnel at the satellite offices who can analyze the information that firearms holders give out when applying for a license or when renewing their license. Notwithstanding the support of Malacanang, I believe the move needs reconsideration. It is not the registered firearms or those who want to register their firearms that is the problem because they are the law abiding citizens who only want some measure of security for their lives and their businesses or occupation. The problem remains those still undetermined number of those who possess loose firearms with the intention of using them for criminal activities.