Title
Amendments to Firearms Law PD 1866
Law
Republic Act No. 8294
Decision Date
Jun 6, 1997
Republic Act No. 8294 imposes stricter penalties for the unlawful possession, manufacture, and sale of firearms and explosives, categorizing offenses based on the type of weapon and its use in connection with serious crimes such as rebellion or murder.
A

Unlawful Manufacture, Sale, Acquisition, Disposition, or Possession of Explosives

  • Penalty ranges from maximum prision mayor to reclusion temporal and a fine of at least P50,000 for illegal handling of explosives like hand grenades, rifle grenades, incendiary devices.
  • Use of such explosives causing death is an aggravating circumstance.
  • Violations related to rebellion, insurrection, sedition, or coup attempts are absorbed in those crimes.
  • Responsible corporate officers allowing unlawful use of explosives incur same penalties.

Tampering of Firearm Serial Numbers

  • Imposes penalty of prision correccional for tampering, changing, defacing, or erasing firearm serial numbers.

Unauthorized Repacking or Altering Explosives

  • Penalty of prision correccional for unlawfully repacking, altering or modifying lawfully manufactured explosives.

Scope of "Unlicensed Firearm"

  • Includes firearms with expired licenses.
  • Includes unauthorized use of licensed firearms in the commission of crimes.

Rules and Regulations

  • DOJ and DILG to issue joint regulations within 90 days after the Act’s approval.
  • Copies of issued rules must be furnished to relevant congressional committees within 30 days of promulgation.

Separability Clause

  • Unconstitutional or invalid provisions do not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

Repealing Clause

  • All inconsistent laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Effectivity

  • Act takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or two newspapers of general circulation.

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