The Philippine National Police (PNP) has announced that active police officers and soldiers are now exempt from undergoing drug tests and psychological and psychiatric evaluations as part of the requirements for obtaining gun licenses.
Memorandum Details
PNP Civil Security Group (CSG) spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Eudisan Gultiano stated that PNP Chief Police General Rommel Marbil issued a memorandum exempting these requirements for active personnel of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“There was a memorandum signed by our Chief PNP exempting the requirement of drug tests and psychological and psychiatric evaluations for members of the PNP and AFP who are active,” Gultiano told reporters.
Rationale
In the memorandum dated July 16, Marbil emphasized that active military and police personnel are already trained as responsible firearm holders. He stated that the drug tests and psychological and psychiatric evaluations conducted during their service would suffice as requirements for obtaining a License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF).
“All active military and police personnel are no longer required to undergo DT and PPE since they are already trained as responsible firearm holders,” Marbil noted. “The DT and PPE conducted during their service will suffice as LTOPF requirements.”
New Requirements
Due to this exemption, active PNP and AFP members are only required to submit their IDs from their respective police and military organizations to obtain or renew their LTOPF and firearm registration.
Regular Testing and Expired Licenses
Gultiano assured that drug tests and psychological and psychiatric exams are regularly conducted within the PNP. As of the latest records, the PNP has 11,000 expired LTOPFs, while the AFP has 14,000. Additionally, the PNP has 25,000 expired firearm registrations, compared to 29,000 for the AFP.
“We want to really promote the convenience of our active personnel and speed up their renewal and application of their LTOPF and firearm registration,” Gultiano said.