Police unit opens weekend gun licensing hub, offers provisional permits in Davao Region

Gun owners in Davao City and the wider Davao Region now have more ways to register loose firearms and renew lapsed permits, after the Regional Civil Security Unit (RCSU) XI rolled out a one-stop shop that runs on weekends and a simplified provisional licensing scheme, according to Mindanao Times.

RCSU XI chief PLTCOL Clark Casiwen announced the measures at a Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, Nov. 11. He called on firearm holders and enthusiasts to use the processing centers so they comply with the law.

Casiwen said the one-stop shop at SM City Davao in Ecoland operates every Saturday and Sunday, as well as on weekdays, to ease bottlenecks in licensing. Applicants can take neuropsychiatric exams and drug tests, secure police clearances and get help with registration on site.

Weekday processing from Monday to Friday continues at the regional headquarters in Camp Quintin M. Merecido in Buhangin. Stakeholder Assistance Centers in Tagum City and Digos City also serve applicants.

"As you can see, there is no reason that you will not register your firearms," Casiwen said, adding that personnel are assigned at every venue to help applicants.

The unit is also promoting the Provisional License to Own and Possess Firearms (P-LTOPF). The permit is meant for gun owners who are abroad, bedridden or disabled, or who intend to sell or transfer their firearms instead of keeping them.

Requirements for the P-LTOPF are one valid government ID, an application form, a firearm turn-in slip, a Permit to Transport (PTT) and a ₱500 processing fee. Casiwen said RCSU XI will send personnel to assist bedridden or immobilized owners who cannot go to its offices.

As part of its wider drive against unregistered weapons, the unit is holding dialogues with gun club presidents, shooting range operators and firearm dealers across the region to ensure their members follow national gun laws.