Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday raised the possibility of granting amnesty to owners of loose firearms, provided that the weapons are surrendered and found to have no links to criminal activity.

During the DILG’s budget presentation before the Senate Committee on Finance, Remulla said the proposal could help address the large number of unregistered firearms circulating in communities while allowing authorities to determine whether surrendered weapons had been used in crimes.

“If there are two million firearms on the loose right now and 98 percent of the crimes are committed through these, then we will grant an amnesty and determine whether these firearms were used in the commission of crimes,” he said.

At the same time, Remulla renewed his call for Congress to revisit Republic Act No. 8294, a 1997 law that lowered penalties for illegal possession of firearms and made the offense bailable.

“We estimate that in the 42,000 barangays, if we arrest two per barangay, that’s 84,000, but if given that chance (repealing the Robin Padilla law), we will arrest 150,000 more criminals and take them off the streets,” he said.

Remulla also told the Senate panel that loose firearms enter communities through various channels, including locally manufactured weapons and illegal importation through porous areas along the country’s coastlines.

The DILG chief has been pushing for stronger measures against loose firearms following recent shooting incidents involving young Filipinos, including making illegal possession a non-bailable offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison.