SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA
Bicameral Conference Committee Report
Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act
February 2, 2022

Thank you, Mr. President, Majority Leader.

Before I start, with the permission of the body, I would like to manifest the intention of Senator Francis Tolentino to be made co-author of Senate Bill No. 1155. He made the declaration during our bicameral conference committee meeting today. Thank you, Mr. President.

Good afternoon, my dear colleagues. I have the honor of submitting for ratification the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the Disagreeing Provisions of Senate Bill No. 1155 and House Bill No. 10610that seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10591, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Mr. President, I am happy to report to this august body that in today's Bicameral Conference Committee Meeting, most of the Senate conferees were present and participated in our pursuit of the best reconciled version of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act Bill.

Instead of reading the entire Joint Explanatory Statement of the Bicameral Conference Committee Report, may I be allowed to present the highlights of the reconciled bill and that the Joint Explanation be inserted and considered read into the Record.

Mr. President, the House panel has agreed to delete the provision in their version referring to the active sports shooters' exemption from the requirement of the threat assessment certificate. On the other hand, both panels agreed to include to the list of persons exempted from the said certificate the: (1) Incumbent and Former Elected Officials and, (2) Active and Retired Military, and Law Enforcement Personnel.

As to license to possess firearm, the bicam panel adopted the House version wherein renewal of license shall be every five years or ten years at the option of the licensee unless sooner revoked or suspended.

To end, Mr. President, I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the Senate Panel for their contributions: Senators Zubiri, Recto, Tolentino and Lapid. Their inputs and presence has been a great help for a successful Bicameral Meeting. Also, I am grateful to all the members of this august body for guiding and supporting me in the passage of the very first bill I have sponsored in this chamber like all the bills I have sponsored and are now enacted into law. In spite of the intensive deliberation that the House of Representatives conducted with this bill that caused a slight hiccup to its earnest passage, I am glad that we will be able to submit this to the President's desk before the end of the 18thCongress.

Thank you, Mr. President.