The Philippine National Police has approved the revocation of the firearms licenses of Senator Bato dela Rosa, according to documents obtained from the PNP-Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO).
The documents showed that the head of the FEO signed the recommendation of the License Revocation and Restoration Board to cancel Dela Rosa’s License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF).
The revocation order was signed on Tuesday, May 26.
Based on FEO records, Dela Rosa held a Type 5 LTOPF, which allows an individual to own at least 15 firearms and classifies the holder as a firearms collector.
Records from the FEO showed that Dela Rosa owns 117 firearms.
The PNP-FEO has also sent a letter to Police Regional Office-11 to formally notify Dela Rosa about the revocation order. Authorities also directed the immediate surrender of the firearms to the police.
Under Section 4 of Republic Act 10591, individuals who are convicted or facing pending criminal cases punishable by more than two years imprisonment may be disqualified from owning firearms.
Dela Rosa is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Lawyer Israelito Torreon, however, questioned the legality of the revocation.
Torreon argued that the PNP-FEO used Section 4(g) of Republic Act 10591 as basis for the cancellation, which he said was not the proper provision governing revocation of firearm licenses.
