Expedited Processing and Release of Certificate of Authority to Bear, Carry and Transport Firearms for Purposes of the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections

January 11, 2019

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 06-2019

 

Quoted hereunder is an excerpt from the minutes of the regular en banc meeting of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) held on 19 December 2018:

"18-__________. IN THE MATTER OF THE REQUEST OF THE SUPREME COURT IN THE APPLICATION OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY TO BEAR, CARRY, AND TRANSPORT FIREARMS FOR PURPOSE OF THE MAY 13, 2019 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS (NLE) AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL GOVERNMENT LANE

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Considering the foregoing opinion of the Law Department, the Commission RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to approve the request of the Supreme Court (SC), through the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP), for the issuance of a Certificate of Authority (CA) to bear, carry, transport firearms of the Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals; and Judges of the Regional Trial Courts and Municipal/Metropolitan/Circuit Trial Courts under Section 6 (E), Rule III of COMELEC Resolution No. 10446, subject to the herein procedures recommended by the Law Department to fast track and make easy the issuance of Certificate of Authority (CA) by making the above-quoted Section 7 (a), Rule III of COMELEC Resolution No. 10446 not applicable with respect to their applications for CA.

Hence, the following shall be observed:

1. The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) shall endorse to the CBFSP, through a list, the names of all judges and justices who wish to apply for a CA, which shall be certified by the Court Administrator;

2. The form to be used for the said certified list is attached hereto as Annex "A";

3. The CBFSP shall then transmit to the OCA all issued CA, who in turn, shall be the one responsible to distribute the same to the concerned judges and justices; and

4. The Honorable Justices and Judges are allowed to carry, transport a maximum of two (2) firearms.

RESOLVED, moreover, to approve the establishment of special government lanes in applying for the issuance of Certificates of Authority for Law Enforcement Agencies (CA-LEA) in order not to cause disruption in the performance of their law enforcement and/or security mandate. Further, the CBFSP shall give preferential attention to government law enforcement bodies in the evaluation of applications and issuance of CAs, provided they submit all the requirements and valid documents.

This Resolution supplements COMELEC Resolution No. 10446 promulgated November 21, 2018.

Let the Law Department implement this Resolution.

SO ORDERED."

Pursuant to the foregoing, all qualified members of the judiciary who wish to avail of the above expedited procedure for the issuance of a Certificate of Authority (CA) to bear, carry and transport firearms may file their respective requests with the Court Administrator, who shall forthwith endorse the same to the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP).

Considering that the Court Administrator is required to certify that the concerned members of the judiciary are duly authorized and sanctioned by the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, or Supreme Court to bear, carry and transport firearms in the exercise of their judicial functions, and that said firearms are duly registered and covered by duly issued and valid Permits to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFORs), those concerned shall fill out the Request Form for Expedited Issuance of Certificate of Authority to Bear, Carry, and Transport Firearms (Annex "A"), which shall be attached to their respective letters of request. cSEDTC

Request letters with completed Request Forms shall be delivered personally or via private courier service to the Office of the Court Administrator at the address below:

Office of the Court Administrator

Advance copies of requests may be emailed to [email protected], but will only be processed and endorsed to the CBFSP upon receipt of the duly-signed hard copy.

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator

ATTACHMENT

Expedited Issuance of Certificate of Authority to Bear, Carry & Transport Firearms

Request Form