Jaworski: Ryan must face the law

BULACAN, Bulacan — Sen. Robert Jaworski vowed yesterday not to intervene in the charges filed against his son Ryan who was arrested with four friends for indiscriminately firing guns in an upscale neighborhood on Wednesday.

The senator made the pledge as San Juan Prosecutor Edgardo Bautista upgraded the alarm and scandal charges against the younger Jaworski, invoking the law authored by Ryan’s grandfather, Sen. Ramon Revilla.

Revilla, born Jose Bautista Sr., is the father of Ryan’s mother Evelyn Bautista Jaworski.

"He is a grown boy and I love him but he has to face the process of law," Senator Jaworski told The STAR after speaking on the commemoration of the 152nd birth anniversary of Marcelo del Pilar.

He clarified that Ryan, who introduced himself as his father’s chief of staff when he was arrested by police on Wednesday, was actually his political affairs officer.

The senator also stressed that four Glock 9-mm. pistols and M-16 assault rifle that were caught in the possession of Ryan and his friends were duly licensed.

"There was a case filed against my son and we will let the due process of law to investigate on his case. If there is anything that the authorities recommend to me, then I will take necessary action," the senator said.

Earlier, the San Juan police filed before the San Juan municipal trial court charges of alarm and scandal against Ryan and his four companions. The crime is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of six months to one year or a fine not exceeding P200.

But invoking the gun law authored by Ryan’s grandfather, the San Juan prosecutor upgraded the charges against Ryan from alarm and scandal to illegal possession of low-powered firearms.

There is a separate charge of illegal possession of high-powered firearms before the Pasig City regional trial court.

The younger Jaworski, 29, was arrested along with his friends Michael Castro, Jaoa Santiago Miranda, Rodel Comendador and Virgilio Endaya.

But the San Juan prosecutor released Comendador and Endaya for lack of evidence while he set a bail of P140,000 for Jaworski and P60,000 each for Castro and Miranda.

It was not clear why illegal possession charges were filed against the three men.

San Juan police chief Superintendent Rodrigo de Gracia claimed the guns found in their possession were covered by permits but it could not be determined if they have permits to carry firearms outside of residence.

According to Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Division (PNP-FED) chief Senior Superintendent Geary Barias, Jaworski is licensed to own two Glock 9-mm. automatics, dated Aug. 15, 2002 to January 2004, and an M-16 assault rifle, dated July 22, 2002 to August 2004.

But other sources in the FED questioned why the young Jaworski was licensed to own a high-powered firearm when, under FED rules, high-powered firearms can only be issued to juridical entities in places where there is a "high level of criminality."

"The permits to purchase the high-powered firearms and the licensing are allowed only on conditions that merit extreme or high level of criminality," the FED source said.

FED regulations state that licenses for high-powered firearms are issued to entities where "there is an upsurge of lawlessness and criminality as determined by the chief of the PNP and the regional director."

Barias said the FED may cancel any issued gun permit but stressed his office was still awaiting the recommendation of De Gracia.

But government lawyers claimed that under the amendments Revilla introduced in the gun law, licensed guns should only be fired in self-defense. - With reports from Christina Mendez