Remulla eyes conditional gun amnesty for loose firearms

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday floated the possibility of granting conditional amnesty to owners of loose firearms, provided the weapons are surrendered and found to have no links to criminal activity.

During the Senate Committee on Finance deliberations on the DILG’s proposed 2027 budget, Remulla said the measure could help authorities account for millions of unregistered firearms circulating in communities while determining whether they had been used in crimes.

“If there are two million firearms on the loose right now and 98 percent of the crimes are committed through these, then we will grant an amnesty and determine whether these firearms were used in the commission of crimes,” Remulla said.

At the same hearing, Remulla renewed his call for Congress to revisit Republic Act 8294, the 1997 law that reduced penalties for illegal possession of firearms and made the offense bailable.

“We estimate that in the 42,000 barangays, if we arrest two per barangay, that’s 84,000, but if given that chance, we will arrest 150,000 more criminals and take them off the streets,” he said.

Remulla also told senators that loose firearms enter communities through various channels, including locally manufactured weapons and illegal importation through porous coastal areas.

The DILG chief has been pushing for stricter gun laws following recent shooting incidents involving young Filipinos, including making illegal possession of firearms a non-bailable offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison.