LEGAZPI CITY — Regional Peace and Order Council chairman, Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, said he agrees with Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Martin Dino’s proposal to allow village chiefs to carry firearms — but with certain conditions.
“The government needs to scrutinize the policy and must have safety nets so that it should not be abused by some barangay captains,” Rosal said in an interview Thursday.
Barangay officials should first undergo a neuro-psychiatric examination and the government should assess if they are qualified to have guns, he said.
According to the mayor, village chiefs must be allowed to carry a gun for self defense, especially those in remote barangays with peace and order problems.
Villages can allocate funds for barangay captains’ firearms, he said, adding, however, that congressmen first need to pass a bill on arming village chiefs. (PNA)
