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http://www.inq7.net/brk/2003/jan/22/brkpol_1-1.htm
Philippine police suspends gun license issuance
Posted: 2:45 AM (Manila Time) | Jan. 22, 2003
Inquirer News Service
NATIONAL police chief Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has ordered a temporary suspension of issuance of gun licenses and "permits to carry firearms outside residence" amid public furor over the killing of a law school graduate in a road traffic dispute.
The suspension would give the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) of the Philippine National Police an opportunity to review its procedures and amend them if needed, he said..
Ebdane "wants to have a stricter gun control in the wake of Llamas' killing,'' said director Ricardo de Leon of Police Community Relations, referring to the Jan. 10 killing of law school graduate Jose Ramon Llamas, whose killer remains at large.
The killing of Llamas -- in a confrontation with another motorist after a minor accident -- has generated public opposition to carrying guns, with media commentators saying it would have not been possible if the other motorist had carried no gun.
The suspension of issuance of gun licenses and permits to carry firearms will be brief, De Leon said.
He said security guards were not covered by the order because of the nature of their job and could apply for gun licenses with the FED any time.
The national police has issued 813,089 gun licenses to private individuals and government officials.
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