EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 256 December 21, 1995

REVISING EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 58, S. 1987, BY RATIONALIZING THE FEES AND CHARGES ON FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, SPARE PARTS, ACCESSORIES, COMPONENTS, EXPLOSIVES, EXPLOSIVE INGREDIENTS, PYROTECHNICS AND FIRECRACKERS

WHEREAS, the current rates of fees and charges being collected by the Firearms and Explosives Office of the Philippine National Police on firearms, ammunition, spare parts, accessories, components, explosives, explosive ingredients, pyrotechnics, and firecrackers are not sufficient to cover administrative costs and other expenses incurred for the services rendered in connection therewith;

WHEREAS, the revision of the rates of existing fees and other charges firearms, ammunition, spare parts, accessories, components, explosives, explosive ingredients, pyrotechnics, and firecrackers and the imposition of new ones will provide the necessary financial support to meet the increasing administrative and service costs of regulation by the Firearms and Explosives Office of the Philippine National Police.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. The rates of license/registration/permit fees, other charges and penal/administrative fines relative to firearms, ammunition, spare parts, accessories, components, explosives, explosive ingredients, pyrotechnics, and firecrackers shall be as follows:

A. FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, SPARE PARTS, ACCESSORIES AND COMPONENTS:

1. Annual Firearm License Fees Rates

a) Air Pistol/Rifle P100.00

b) Rifle Cal. 22 or lower 150.00

c) Shotgun (All Gauges) 175.00

d) Pistol/Revolver Cal. 22(Ordinary) 200.00

e) Pistol/Revolver Cal. 25; .32; .38; .380; 9mm; 7.65; 6.35; and Magnum .22 Rimfire 300.00

f) Pistol/Revolver Cal .357; 41; .44; .45; and Magnum Cal. 22 Centerfire 350.00

g) High-Powered Rifle/Submachine gun 500.00

h) Any extra slide/barrel or conversion kit shall be asses a corresponding license
fee amounting to fifty (50) percent of the rate for said caliber.

i) Government employees, whose basic monthly salaries as reflected in their latest pay
slips do not exceed P5,000 and retirees, whose monthly pensions do not exceed the
same amount based on their latest pension slips, shall pay a firearm license fee of
P150 only, regardless of the caliber of the firearm licensed to them.

j) The cost of the license card is not included in the license fee being paid annually and
must be shouldered by the licensee.

2. Registration Fee

a) Reloading Machine P3,000.00

b) Bullet Proof Vest and Vestments 800.00 The above amounts are one-time registration
fees imposable and payable for items registered pursuant to this Executive Order.

3. Permit Fee to Import Firearms, Ammunition, Spare Parts, Accessories, and Components for
commercial purposes.

a) Firearms P10.00 per firearm payable upon arrival in the Philippines

b) Ammunition 0.50/pc.

c) Components C Shells 0.01/pc. C Primers 0.01/pc. Gunpowder 0.25/pc.

d) Spare Parts C Barrels/Frames/Slides 5.00/pc.

e) Reloading Machine and its accessories 1,000.00

f) Bullet-proof Vests and Vestments 500.00

4. Storage Fee (Monthly) P100.00/sqm

5. Permit Fee to Transport Firearms/Ammunition(Monthly)

a) Gun Club (Quarterly) P300.00/FA

b) Hunting Permit (Quarterly) 300.00/FA

c) Security Agencies 50.00/permit

d) Repair or change of residence 50.00/permit

6. Records Authentication P20.00/copy

7. Permit Fee to Carry Firearm Outside of Residence P2,000.00(PTCFOR)

8. Permit Fee to Hold Competition

a) Invitational P1,000.00

b) National 2,000.00

No fee shall be imposed, however, on PNSA-sponsored/accredited competitions.

9. Permit Fee for Authority to Display Firearms Annual) P1,000.00 per branch

10. Administrative Fines for Loss of Firearms covered by Special Permit (SP) or Certificate of Registration (CR)

a) Rifle Cal. 22 P500.00

b) Shotgun (All Gauges) 700.00

c) Pistol/Revolver Cal. 22(Ordinary) 800.00

d) Pistol/Revolver Cal. .25; .32; .38; .380; 9mm; 7.65; 6.35 and Magnum Cal. .22 Rimfire 900.00

e) Pistol/Revolver Cal. .357; .41; .45; and Magnum Cal. .22 Centerfire 1,000.00

f) High-Powered Rifle/Sub-Machine Gun 1,000.00

11. The firearm bond for firearms covered by Regular License (RL) in the amount equivalent to the following administrative fines shall be deposited as a cash bond with any duly designated bank(s) with extensive network in the country capable of servicing the licensed firearms holders nationwide. The corresponding bond certificate shall be surrendered by the applicant/licensee to the Firearms and Explosives Office, which shall be forfeited in favor of the Philippine National Police if and when a particular firearm is reported cost and/or the license is revoked.

a) Rifle Cal. 22 P500.00

b) Shotgun (All Gauges) 700.00

c) Pistol/Revolver Cal. 22 (Ordinary) 800.00

d) Pistol/Revolver Cal. .25; .32; .38; .380; 9mm; 7.65; 6.35 and Magnum Cal. .22 Rimfire 900.00

e) Pistol/Revolver Cal. .357; .41; .44; .45; and Magnum Cal. .22 Centerfire 1,000.00

f) High-Powered Rifle/Sub-Machine Gun 1,000.00

12. Seminar Fee for Gun Safety and Responsibility

B. EXPLOSIVES AND EXPLOSIVE INGREDIENTS:

1. Permit Fee to Unload

a) Explosives/Explosive Ingredients in solid form P.025/kg

b) Explosive/Explosive Ingredients in liquid form .02/liter

c) Detonating cords, safety fuses .01/mtr

d) Blasting caps, connector .01/pc

2. Permit Fee to Import Explosives/Explosive Ingredients (per application) P300.00

3. Permit Fee to Purchase Explosives/Explosive Ingredients (per application) P300.00

4. Permit Fee to Transport Pyrotechnic/Firecrackers (per application) P300.00

SEC. 2. The Philippine National Police is hereby authorized to impose the following fees for licenses, issued in connection with the manufacture, importation and sale of firearms, ammunition, explosives, explosive ingredients, pyrotechnics and firecrackers, as well as the licenses of indentors, firearm, repair shops, foremen, and purchasers of explosives and explosive ingredients.

A. FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, SPARE PARTS, ACCESSORIES AND COMPONENTS:

License (Annual) Rate

1. Dealer's License P2,500.00 License authorizing the conduct of general business such as importation, purchase, possession, sale and transfer of firearms, ammunition, spare parts, accessories and components.
This includes the Air Gun Dealer's License (no. 7).

2. Manufacturer's License 10,000.00 License authorizing the conduct of general business such as manufacture of firearms, ammunition (load/reload), spare parts, accessories and components. This includes the Air Gun Manufacturer's License (no. 8).

3. Indentor's License 2,000.00 License authorizing the indent of firearms, ammunition, spare parts, accessories and components.

4. License to Repair Firearms 2,000.00 License authorizing the conduct of repair of firearms.

5. Repairman's License 500.00

6. Recognition of Gun Club A one-time accreditation fee of a duly registered and recognized gun club. On each succeeding year, the duly recognized gun club will renew recognition by submitting the list of its members and shall pay the corresponding fee of P100.00 per member in good standing.

7. Air Gun Dealer's License 1,500.00 License authorizing the conduct of general business, such as importation, purchase, possession, sale and transfer of airguns.

8. Air Gun Manufacturer's License 3,000.00 License authorizing the conduct of general business, such as the manufacture of air guns, spare parts, accessories and components.

9. License to Deal in Spare Parts, Accessories and Components 1,500.00 License authorizing the conduct of
general business, such as importation, sale and transfer of spare parts, accessories and components excluding
barrels, slides, and frames which are already covered by the Dealer's License (no. 1).

10. Accreditation of Firing Range

a) Commercial: initial fee P 5,000.00 every renewal 2,500.00

b) Private : initial fee P 2,500.00 every renewal 1,000.00

Firing ranges owned by the government shall be exempt from the payment of this accreditation fee.

B. EXPLOSIVES AND EXPLOSIVE INGREDIENTS:

1. Dealer's License P 2,500.00 License authorizing the importation, purchase, possession, sale, transfer, and general conduct of business handling gunpower, dynamite, explosives or their ingredients.

2. Manufacturer's License 10,000.00 License authorizing the manufacture of gunpowder, dynamite, explosives or their ingredients.

3. Purchaser's License 1,000.00 License authorizing the purchase and possession of dynamite, explosives or
their ingredients for use of mines, quarries, road construction, wrecking or for use in any other legal and lawful occupation.

4. Foreman's/Blaster's License 500.00 License authorizing the purchase and possession of dynamite, explosives or their ingredients by workmen in mines, quarries, road construction, wrecking or for use in any other legal and lawful public or private work. License must be a qualified blaster or must be technically qualified to handle explosives.

C. PYROTECHNICS AND FIRECRACKERS:

1. Manufacturer's License P 2,500.00 License authorizing the manufacture of pyrotechnics and firecrackers.

2 Dealer's License 500.00 License authorizing the purchase, possession, sale, transfer, and general conduct of business involving firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

SEC. 3. The Firearms and Explosives Office shall retain twenty percent (20%) of the total collections for firearms and explosives fees and charges to fund the direct operational expenses of the FEO other than what is provided for in the General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 4. The Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and other law enforcement agencies, shall be exempted from paying the firearms license fees provided for in this Order. All other government agencies and instrumentalities which, by the nature of their jobs, are considered to be revenue-earning entities shall pay the necessary firearm license fees and administrative fines provided herein for the firearms used by them in performing functions/duties inherent in the mission and organization of the agencies concerned.

SEC. 5 Private Security Agencies (PASs) and Company Guard Forces (CGFs) shall be allowed to pay the cash bond for their existing firearms on a staggered basis over a period of five (5) years from the date of the effectivity of this Order, provided, however, that such payments to be made shall be in equal amounts each year and provided further that upon the effectivity of this Order, Private Security Agencies and Company Guard Forces, purchasing or acquiring new firearms shall pay the corresponding cash bond in a maximum of four (4) installments over a period of one (1) year.

SEC. 6. The Office of the President may issue exemptions from the payment of the fee for the issuance of permits to carry firearm outside residence (PTFCOR) under such rules or guidelines as it may promulgate.

SEC. 7. No firearm application shall be approved by the FEO, PNP without a certificate of attendance by the applicant in a seminar covering gun safety, responsibility, laws, regulations and other pertinent topics.

SEC. 8. The Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP), shall promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to the implementation of this Executive Order, subject to the approval of the Office of the President.

SEC. 9. The Executive Order shall take effect on January 1, 1996 after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. The rates and charges provided under this Executive Order shall be subject to periodic review to reflect any changes in the cost of operations, consumer prices and technology.

SEC. 10. All orders, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 21st day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-five.



(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines


By the President:


(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation