Manila — A party-list representative has advocated for stricter gun control measures in the Philippines, following the recent 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKEs).
According to Philippines News Agency, the ongoing issue of unlicensed firearms and smuggled guns necessitates reforms in gun laws, including the imposition of more stringent administrative penalties in addition to longer prison sentences.
Herrera also suggested the need to "revisit and have a sequel" to the Melo Commission Report by initiating fact-finding investigations into private armies and extrajudicial killings. She emphasized that the context of terrorism and new anti-terrorism laws should be included in these investigations. Herrera noted the persistence of violence in localities with long-standing histories of unrest, contrasting them with areas that have transitioned into peaceful communities.
The lawmaker acknowledged the efforts of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) in ensuring a generally peaceful conduct of the BSKEs. She pointed out that although incidents of violence did occur, they were relatively few considering there are over 42,000 barangays in the country.
Deputy Speaker Camille Villar added that newly elected barangay and SK officials should promptly fulfill their campaign promises. She expressed hope that these new leaders would be trustworthy and reliable in their roles and avoid succumbing to corruption.
BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co urged both reelected and newly elected public servants to familiarize themselves with recent laws passed by Congress, particularly those relevant to their local communities. According to Commission on Elections data, 42,007 positions for village chair and youth chair were contested in the recent elections, along with 294,007 positions for village and youth council members. The elections saw a participation of 67.8 million registered voters for village positions and 23.2 million registered youth voters.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia confirmed that the BSKEs proceeded smoothly and were generally peaceful, while election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) reported instances of violence, notably in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).