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Will the Philippines see more gun violence with civilians soon allowed to own semi-automatic rifles?

  • The nation’s police group made amendments to a law to allow civilian gun holders to own semi-automatic weapons
  • Critics fear politicians and businessmen may abuse new, relaxed gun rules, emboldening private armies and militias

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A Filipino elite Police Special Weapons and Tactical personnel inspects firearms during deployment in Manila. Photo: EPA-EFE
Civilians in the Philippines would soon be allowed to own semi-automatic rifles following changes to the country’s firearms regulations, a move critics fear could aggravate the country’s culture of gun violence.

The amendments made to the Philippines’ Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, based on recommendations by a national police technical working group, would permit Filipinos to acquire gun licences for semi-automatic rifles with a calibre of 7.62mm or lower, police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said on Monday.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) defines semi-automatic firearms as those that can “[fire] a single round for every depression of the trigger, and automatically cycles with each trigger pull”.

Fajardo clarified that separate licences would be needed to transport such firearms or carry them outdoors, even if one has a licence for ownership. The amendments were sent to the University of the Philippines Law Center and will take effect after 15 days.

An armed soldier in Manila. While mass shootings in the Philippines are rare, the country has one of the highest incident rates of targeted gun-related killings in Asia. Photo: dpa
An armed soldier in Manila. While mass shootings in the Philippines are rare, the country has one of the highest incident rates of targeted gun-related killings in Asia. Photo: dpa

The announcement by the Philippine police drew criticism from some lawmakers and anti-gun advocates, who argued that it could exacerbate gun-related violence in the Philippines.

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