Philippines raises penalties for indiscriminate firing under new law

A measure that recently lapsed into law imposes stiffer penalties for persons who shall willfully and indiscriminately discharge firearms, including those authorized to bear weapons, according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday.

Senate Bill No. 2501 or an Act Penalizing Willful and Indiscriminate Discharge of Firearms was among the bills that lapsed into law. The enrolled copies were sent to Malacañang last June 29.

Under the measure, any person who shall willfully and indiscriminately discharge any firearms or other device that may not have been designed as firearms but can be functionally used as a firearm shall suffer the penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period unless the facts of the case can be held to constitute any other offenses of which a higher penalty is prescribed.

The law amends Republic Act 3815, known as the Revised Penal Code (RPC) to transfer the act of discharging firearms from the purview of “Alarms and Scandal” provision of the RPC to the level of “more serious offense” of Discharge of Firearms under Article 254, which carries a stiffer penalty.

It also imposes a penalty to offenders who are members of the military, military auxiliary agencies, or law enforcement agencies authorized to bear weapons who may be charged administratively.

The law mandates the immediate cancellation and revocation of any license or permit granted to the offender and perpetual disqualification of the offender from being granted such.

Based on case monitoring dated November 29, 2021, the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Investigation and Detective Management reported a total of 195 cases of indiscriminate firing in the country from 2016 to 2021.

Among the top areas with incidents were Region IV-A or Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (CALABARZON) with 30 incidents, while the National Capital Region had 23 incidents.

At least 18 were committed by the members of the PNP and eight by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in all these incidents.—LDF, GMA News