The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday that civilians will be permitted to own semi-automatic rifles following the amendments made to the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, or Republic Act (RA) 10591’s specific provision.

According to PNP Spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo, private citizens can have licenses for their rifles, particularly the 7.62mm below and semi-automatic guns.

She explained that a technical working group has been created by the PNP to thoroughly study some provisions of RA 10591, which has resulted in minor adjustments to the law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

Fajardo added that any civilian can now have their own 7.62, which is below M14, as long as the gun is not automatic, citing the amendments made by the technical working group to amend the IRR of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Moreover, the amendments made by the police technical working group have been submitted to the University of the Philippines Law Center for publication, which will take effect 15 days after publication.

For the license, an individual must submit pertinent documents, which include an application form, a National Police Clearance, a Gun Collector Certificate, a birth certificate, a copy of a valid ID, and other documents.