Sen. Risa Hontiveros is pushing for tougher firearms regulation and stricter gun-safekeeping rules after the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University raised a disturbing question: How did a child gain access to firearms connected to a government employee?
Speaking at a press conference in Iloilo on Aug. 21, Hontiveros said Congress should revisit Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, particularly provisions involving the access, storage and safekeeping of guns and ammunition.
Hontiveros said she favors stricter firearms regulation and argued that reducing the number of guns in circulation—whether legally owned, government-issued or otherwise—could help reduce gun-related violence.
The Zamboanga question lawmakers cannot ignore
The call came three days after the Aug. 18 shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School in Zamboanga City.
Two students died in the incident, including the student who carried out the attack. Authorities said firearms linked to the suspect’s father were used.
The Bureau of Customs confirmed that one of the firearms was a government-issued Glock pistol, while another firearm was reportedly personally owned and licensed. The BOC subsequently relieved the suspect’s father from his post and ordered an investigation into the handling of the firearms.
The BOC also ordered a comprehensive inventory of firearms issued throughout the bureau and a review of compliance with rules covering firearm custody, transport, carrying, storage and safekeeping.
For Hontiveros, the issue goes beyond whether the firearms were legally registered.
The bigger question is whether licensed gun owners—particularly government personnel entrusted with service weapons—are doing enough to ensure that children and other unauthorized people cannot reach them.
“We’re only talking here about the registered, licensed and government-issued” firearms, Hontiveros said, while noting that lawmakers are still awaiting more complete data concerning civilian firearms and unlicensed weapons.
PNP also moves to tighten firearm security
The Philippine National Police has separately ordered stronger reminders and safeguards for the proper storage and handling of firearms.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed commanders to emphasize firearm accountability among personnel, particularly when officers are off duty and at home.
The PNP stressed that firearms should never be left where children or unauthorized individuals can access them.
The police organization is also considering stronger firearm-safety requirements, including safety seminars that could apply not only when a person first obtains a license but also when renewing one.
Existing law already requires secure firearm storage
RA 10591 already contains firearm-safekeeping requirements.
Under the law, licensed firearm owners must have a vault or a container secured by a lock and key or other security measures for firearm safekeeping. The law also provides mechanisms for depositing firearms with the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office or a police regional office for safekeeping.
That makes the emerging debate less about whether firearm-storage rules exist and more about whether those rules are sufficiently strict, consistently enforced and capable of preventing unauthorized access.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo has separately proposed mandatory inspection of firearm-storage facilities before the PNP issues a License to Own and Possess Firearms, adding another proposal to the growing push for tougher gun accountability.
Zamboanga follows another deadly school shooting
The Zamboanga tragedy also came less than two months after another deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.
Hontiveros noted that both incidents raised concerns because firearms connected to government personnel were involved, putting renewed attention on firearm custody and the possibility of children gaining access to weapons.
The incidents have also triggered a wider national discussion about school safety, online activity and the factors that may contribute to youth violence.
Reuters reported that authorities are examining both firearm access and the shooter’s online activity, while lawmakers and government officials have raised separate concerns about the spread of violent material online.
But Hontiveros has cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the motive behind the Zamboanga shooting. Questions surrounding possible links to online extremist communities remain under investigation.
What happens next?
For now, Hontiveros’ proposal is a call to review and strengthen existing firearms regulations, not an enacted change in Philippine gun law.
The Senate debate is likely to focus on whether current safeguards are enough, whether gun owners should face stronger accountability for negligent storage, and whether authorities should have greater powers to verify that firearms are actually being stored securely.
The Zamboanga shooting has therefore shifted the conversation from simply asking who legally owns a firearm to a more consequential question:
Can the owner prove that nobody else—including a child—can get to it?
That question could become central to the next round of proposed changes to the Philippines’ firearms laws.
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