Drizzt
February 6, 2003, 04:06 PM
Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 7, 2003
SECTION: 4
LENGTH: 256 words
HEADLINE: LINA: COPS CAN ACCOST ANYONE WITH 'BULGE'
BODY:
BAGUIO CITY-Malacanang revoked on Tuesday all permits to carry firearms, including those issued to politicians and local government officials, Interior Secretary Jose Lina said.
This means that anyone with a suspicious-looking bulge in his or her jacket or pocket will be accosted by the police, Lina told a conference on righteousness here on Wednesday. The government had issued some 300,000 permits to carry firearms and a beat policeman could not immediately validate all of these, he said.
Lina said President Macapagal-Arroyo's decision to impose the ban was aimed at restoring the function of the police and the military as society's protectors.
"She wants to remove the erroneous policy that we are in a situation in which citizens end up having to protect themselves. Peace and order is the responsibility of the police and the military," he said.
Earlier, Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Philippine National Police chief, said the President had instructed him to restore the gun-carrying privileges of people who were under direct threat or who transact business with large amounts of money.
He said kidnap-for-ransom victims were among those on the list of people who got the exemptions.
Ebdane said there had been "abuses" in the issuance of some 31,000 licenses to carry firearms in the country. He said only 10,000 gun owners should have been given permits under the standards set up by the police and the local firearms industry. Vincent Cabreza and Jovelyn Reyes, PDI Northern Luzon Bureau
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There are SOOO many comments I could make, based on the headline, but I will refrain.......
February 7, 2003
SECTION: 4
LENGTH: 256 words
HEADLINE: LINA: COPS CAN ACCOST ANYONE WITH 'BULGE'
BODY:
BAGUIO CITY-Malacanang revoked on Tuesday all permits to carry firearms, including those issued to politicians and local government officials, Interior Secretary Jose Lina said.
This means that anyone with a suspicious-looking bulge in his or her jacket or pocket will be accosted by the police, Lina told a conference on righteousness here on Wednesday. The government had issued some 300,000 permits to carry firearms and a beat policeman could not immediately validate all of these, he said.
Lina said President Macapagal-Arroyo's decision to impose the ban was aimed at restoring the function of the police and the military as society's protectors.
"She wants to remove the erroneous policy that we are in a situation in which citizens end up having to protect themselves. Peace and order is the responsibility of the police and the military," he said.
Earlier, Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Philippine National Police chief, said the President had instructed him to restore the gun-carrying privileges of people who were under direct threat or who transact business with large amounts of money.
He said kidnap-for-ransom victims were among those on the list of people who got the exemptions.
Ebdane said there had been "abuses" in the issuance of some 31,000 licenses to carry firearms in the country. He said only 10,000 gun owners should have been given permits under the standards set up by the police and the local firearms industry. Vincent Cabreza and Jovelyn Reyes, PDI Northern Luzon Bureau
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There are SOOO many comments I could make, based on the headline, but I will refrain.......