The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Friday, August 28, that it will evaluate and engage with key stakeholders regarding a proposal to conduct home inspections where government-issued firearms are kept, aiming to prevent minors from accessing weapons and curbing school-related violence.
PNP Chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. stated that the measure seeks to reinforce accountability among gun owners and ensure adherence to safety regulations, while stressing that public consultations are critical to protect constitutional privacy rights.
“We are in the process of strengthening our measures to ensure that government-issued weapons are properly stored and kept. This will be carefully studied and we assure that the concerns and sentiments of all the sectors involved will be respected and factored in,” Nartatez said, noting that the PNP will collaborate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to finalize the policy guidelines.
The proposal was initially floated by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla during a House committee budget hearing, where he recommended allowing police to verify whether government-issued firearms are kept securely away from unauthorized individuals.
Remulla subsequently clarified that inspections would not require search warrants, but would instead operate through voluntary waiver agreements signed by gun holders following a one-day advance notice.
Urgency surrounding gun safety escalated following two separate campus shooting incidents involving minors who obtained government-issued firearms—the first in Tacloban City on June 22 and the second in Zamboanga City on August 18.
Nartatez emphasized that any eventual inspection framework will include clear protocols to shield both gun owners and law enforcement officers from potential harassment, reassuring the public that all police operations will strictly observe legal limits and preserve individual rights.