At least two senators are backing President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to distribute handguns to barangay officials for community defense against criminals in the performance of their duty.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Richard Gordon approved of the idea of arming barangay officials with .22 caliber handguns, but not on a nationwide scale.

“I’m a practical shooter, therefore, I will obviously agree. Kaya lang, yung may mga reported links to drugs, dapat hindi kasali at dapat kasuhan na (But those with reported links to drugs should not be included and they should be charged),” Sotto said.

Sotto said that such weapons should not be easily distributed as barangay officials should observe the procedure set by law in possessing and carrying firearms.

“They should be qualified, they must pass psychiatric tests and other requirements,” he said.

Gordon was also amenable to the plan but only to those in areas where there are high crime rates, rebellion or insurrection or in areas where the situation in the locality demands it.

Just like Sotto, Gordon does not see the need to arm each of the estimated 42,000 barangay chairmen and nearly 300,000 kagawad or village watchmen in the country.

“Madami nang napatay na barangay officials (So many barangay officials had been killed). Give firearms to help them protect themselves and their community. But not every barangay official needs to be armed,” he said.

Gordon, who chairs the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, however, cited the need to vet and give proper training to barangay officials to be armed.

When asked if the government should provide the firearms, Gordon said the government can buy the guns and charge it to the funds of the barangay.