Remulla pushes stricter penalties for negligent gun owners

MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday urged lawmakers to scrap existing legislation that he said fails to adequately penalize negligent firearm owners, citing recent campus violence as evidence of the law's inadequacy.

Remulla's appeal comes in the aftermath of an August 18 shooting incident at a school in Zamboanga City that claimed multiple lives. The attack marked the second fatal campus shooting to occur in the Philippines within a span of less than two months, both perpetrated by student gunmen.

The Interior Secretary argued that current regulations under the 1997 law do not sufficiently hold irresponsible gun owners accountable for their weapons, a gap he contends has contributed to unauthorized access and misuse of firearms.

Remulla did not elaborate on specific provisions the proposed legislation would include, but his call signals renewed government focus on tightening gun ownership standards in response to rising school violence. The push for legislative action reflects broader concerns among officials about access to firearms among younger individuals and the need for enhanced safety protocols among gun owners.

The proposal faces an uncertain path in Congress, where any firearms-related legislation typically generates substantial debate between proponents of stricter controls and those emphasizing Second Amendment-style rights.