The official fee for a Permit to Carry Firearm Outside of Residence P4000 + P150 card. A permit to Transport (Gun Club) is P360. Source is the official PNP Firearms and Explosives Division web site here: http://www.fed.org.ph/fees.html. Now I am just wondering why the actual cost being charged for a PTCFOR is P8000-P12,000. Also, the actual costs of a PTT is P500. PTCFORs for long arms are likewise being issued for P20,000.

Those are current figures. During the time of Ping Lacson in the late 90’s, of the several thousand PTCFOR applications being filed only about 160 were approved. Nevertheless, if you are not within the “magic 160”, a fee of P10,000 for the PTCFOR would make you a member.

History and experience have proven that greater restrictions results in more corruption. Inversely, liberalization and de-centralization results in less opportunities for corruption. The prohibition era of the 1920’s wherein all alchoholic beverages were banned, is widely known to have given birth to what we know today as organized crime or the mob. These gangsters smuggled liquor into the U.S. and ran drinking joints illegally, for a great profit. It was also an opportunity for corrupt government officials to accept bribes to allow such illegal activities to go on under protection.  Strangely, when prohibition on liquor was eventually lifted, the crime and corruption went down. The gangsters had lost their business and went on to other illegal trades.

The illegal drug trade is today a multi-billion dollar enterprise worldwide. Strangely, in countries where narcotics are legalized such as Netherlands, there is no thriving crime business in drugs.

With respect to firearms in the U.S., the liberal gun laws and near absence of restrictions, has not made it difficult for gun owners to buy and possess guns. Consequently, there is hardly any corruption in the firearms business and government regulatory bodies.

Oftentimes, we forget that the the imposition of STRICTER REGULATION gives rise to MORE CORRUPTION. Is this the intended end result of those who seek stricter gun regulation in the Philippines? And who will be the beneficiary of such increase in corruption?