MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO) has revoked the licenses of firearms registered under Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.
Dated May 26, the revocation order was signed by Brig. Gen. Jose Manalad Jr., FEO chief.
“The license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) and firearms registration of Sen. Ronald Marapon dela Rosa are hereby revoked pursuant to Section 4, second paragraph, sub-paragraph (g) of RA No. 10591,” the revocation order read.
On Tuesday, the FEO said the Firearms License Revocation and Restoration Board (FLRRB) has found section 4(g) of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act as the ground to be used in revoking Dela Rosa’s gun permits.
Section 4 lays down the Standards and Requisites for Issuance of and Obtaining a License to Own and Possess Firearms.
Item G which specifically covers applicants says one should not have been convicted or does not have a pending criminal case before any court of law for a crime that is punishable with a penalty of more than two years.
Not a revocation ground?
Dela Rosa however, a longtime law enforcer and a former police chief, is not an applicant, his camp said, hence arguing that section 4(g) is "not a revocation ground."
Israelito Torreon, dela Rosa’s legal counsel, counters that section 4(g) only tells “who can get license” whereas section 39, separately titled “Grounds for Revocation” tells “who can lose one.”
“They are different sections with different headings for a reason,” Torreon said.
“Section 39 has ten grounds. Pending criminal case before any court? Not one of them. The only criminal-law grounds are: CONVICTION under Section 39(b), and a COURT ORDER under Section 39(j). Senator Dela Rosa has been convicted of nothing. No Philippine court has issued any order against him,” Torreon said.
