SP opposes proposed four-day MassKara gun ban

BACOLOD CITY — The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has urged the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to intensify its campaign against loose, unregistered and illegally possessed firearms as it opposed a proposed four-day gun ban during the 47th MassKara Festival.

A resolution authored by Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairman of the SP Committee on Laws and Ordinances, stated that while preventing firearm-related incidents during major public gatherings is a legitimate objective that deserves the city government’s full support, a blanket suspension covering the entire city may not be the most practical, proportionate and effective means of achieving it.

Police Col. Eugene Rebadomia, BCPO director, said police proposed a total gun ban from Oct. 15 to 18 during the festival highlights instead of covering the entire festival period.

Rebadomia said the city government would have to apply with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the suspension.

“We do not want them to target legal gunowners, but lawless elements,” Espino said in a media interview.

He said law enforcement should focus on strictly monitoring loose firearms and intensifying anti-criminality operations instead of suspending the privilege granted under valid Permits to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) during the covered period.

The resolution said the SP fully recognizes and supports the BCPO’s mandate to maintain peace and order and ensure the safety of Bacolodnons, visitors, tourists and festivalgoers during the MassKara Festival.

However, it noted that a general suspension of valid PTCFORs may primarily affect people who have complied with the law, while those possessing loose, unregistered or illegally acquired firearms are already operating outside the licensing and regulatory system.

The resolution cited Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which establishes a system regulating the ownership, possession, registration and carrying of firearms, including permits issued to qualified individuals.

Under the law, a PTCFOR may be issued by the PNP chief or an authorized representative to a qualified person whose life is under actual threat or in imminent danger because of the nature of the person’s profession, occupation or business.

The resolution said holders of valid firearms licenses and PTCFORs have undergone the regulatory process and complied with requirements imposed by law and the PNP.

It said the SP believes public safety would be better served by directing greater law enforcement attention and resources toward identifying, apprehending and prosecuting people who illegally possess or carry firearms and recovering loose and unregistered firearms circulating in the city.

The SP said the city government and BCPO could further strengthen security during the MassKara Festival through increased police visibility, intelligence-driven operations, lawful checkpoints and security control points, intensified patrols, stricter screening and access controls at major festival venues, and focused enforcement against illegal firearms.

It said stricter firearm restrictions could also be enforced, when legally authorized and operationally justified, within designated festival venues, security zones, schools, government facilities and other sensitive or high-density areas without necessarily imposing a blanket prohibition throughout Bacolod City.

The SP maintained that firearm-control policies should distinguish between duly licensed firearm owners who comply with the law and individuals who illegally possess, carry, sell or use firearms.

The resolution was unanimously approved during the SP’s regular session Wednesday, urging the BCPO to strengthen security measures in festival areas.

The council said law enforcement efforts should be aggressively directed toward loose firearms, illegal gun holders, gun-running activities and firearms being used or intended for use in crimes rather than imposing additional restrictions on people who have undergone the legal licensing and permitting process.

The SP also expressed support for reasonable, targeted and evidence-based security measures that the BCPO considers necessary to maintain peace and order throughout the festival.

It urged the BCPO to strengthen police visibility, patrols, intelligence gathering, security screening, access control and other appropriate security measures, particularly within MassKara Festival venues, convergence areas and other places where large crowds are expected.

The 47th MassKara Festival runs from Oct. 1 to 18, with major activities concentrated in the latter part of the celebration.