AFAD to highlight gun safety at firearms expo
Firearms dealers are set to showcase their products at a five-day expo from November 18 to 22, with the industry also pushing gun-safety training and tighter accountability for firearms issued to government personnel.
Aric Topacio, president of the Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines (AFAD), said the group was willing to provide firearm-handling and safety seminars to government agencies, particularly those whose personnel are issued service weapons.
“Training should never stop,” Topacio said, stressing that responsible gun ownership requires continuing instruction for both civilian owners and government personnel.
He cited the need for government agencies to ensure that personnel receiving service weapons are properly trained in handling and securing them.
“If the Bureau of Customs, for example, procures 500 pistols and distributes them to its personnel, we do not know if these people have a license to own firearms or have undergone training,” he said.
Topacio also called for a system to account for government-purchased firearms and ensure that the PNP has records of weapons issued to personnel.
“I think the best way now to check on state-issued firearms is to do an accounting of their firearms,” he said.
He noted that private firearms dealers are required to submit regular reports to the PNP identifying the firearms they sell, their buyers and the buyers’ license numbers. Government agencies, however, do not appear to submit similar reports when they purchase firearms.
Topacio also questioned the difference in screening requirements for civilian gun applicants and police personnel acquiring firearms for personal use.
Civilians must undergo neuropsychiatric and drug tests to qualify for a firearm license, while police officers buying their own firearms are no longer required to take the neuropsychiatric test.
Topacio argued that the same standards should apply regardless of whether an applicant is a civilian or a member of the police force, saying firearm ownership should come with proper screening and training.
“If we are to make it more strict, it should apply to all,” he said.
The AFAD is set to hold a firearms expo from November 18 to 22, featuring firearms and related products. The event will also offer a one-stop licensing service, including neuropsychiatric and drug testing required for firearm license applicants.
Beyond licensing and training, Topacio said the group was pushing for stronger enforcement against unregistered firearms and smuggling.
He also renewed AFAD’s call for the implementation of a firearms amnesty program that would allow owners of unregistered weapons to register them and have them undergo ballistic testing, which he said could help authorities gather more information about firearms outside the legal licensing system.