The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday it will not insist on the extension of the nationwide gun ban implementation as it expects a heated debate when pro and anti-firearms advocates meet on Friday to discuss the fate of the gun control program of the government.

Instead, Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, said they will just act as moderator when the discussion on whether or not an election period-like total gun ban would be extended when the election period ends next week.

“On our part, we will just tell the stakeholders who would participate of what happened during the implementation of the gun ban from Jan. 10 and some comparison on crime statistics without restrictions like crimes that happened in 2008 and 2009,” said Espina.

“Perhaps we will also present the comparison of data of the ERVIs (Election Related Violent Incidents) when a total gun ban was implemented for this year’s election period and that of 2007 and 2004 elections,” he added.

The second National Firearms Control summit will be held at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame on Friday with representatives from pro and anti-gun ban groups and even from the media, academe and religious sectors expected to attend.

Heated debates are expected to occur as several organizations have earlier expressed their respective positions on the issue.

Right now, Espina said they are preparing for the data that they would present on Friday, concentrating on the benefits of having an elaborate gun control program as an anti-crime measure in the country.

“While it (gun ban implementation) became favorable (in our anti-crime operations), we will not insist on it. We will just present statistics and we’ll go with the decision of the majority that will be for the greater good,” said Espina.

But he said they are hoping that the attendees would come up with a middle ground on the issue in order for the government to have a gun control program which the PNP believes to be necessary, what with the proliferation of loose guns which were estimated to be at 1.1 million as of May last year.

“Whatever the result of the discussion, it would be ironed out and a memorandum or whatever form of document will be signed by all attendees,” he said.

Espina, however, would not say what would happen to their gun ban measures like the conduct of checkpoints and the suspension of the permit to carry firearms outside residence after the gun ban implementation ends on June 9, saying it will depend on the result of the discussion on Friday.

As for the carrying of firearms, Espina said civilian gun owners would likely be allowed to carry guns anew if there would be no clear-cut decision on the issue of whether or not the gun ban would be extended.