AS SEEN ON TV
At Gun Point
One of every 87 Filipinos owns a gun. Sort of.
The Philippine National Police pegs at 1.1 million undocumented guns in the country today. Of crimes committed from 2004 to 2008, guns were the top weapons used, so much so that the Philippines now ranks10th of countries where guns are responsible for 97% of all homicide cases. RP is the only Southeast Asian country on that list, sharing space with the US (where guns are as popular as school shooting sprees at 90 guns per 100 people) and strife-torn South American and Middle Eastern countries.
The United Nations encourages disarmament among its members. But attempts to recall loose guns in RP are focused on rebel groups that only account for about 15,600 weapons, not even 2% of the millions of unlicensed guns out there. Many of these are with civilians who believe guns give them a chance to fight crime as long as these are “owned responsibly”.
The rest are with criminals.
Filipinos have easy access to branded or home made weapons. Where else in the world can a town lay claim to being the “Gun Capital”? Danao City, Cebu has at least 2 gunsmith cooperatives allowed by government to manufacture firearms of trademark precision and admirable craftsmanship. Like good sculpture!
There’s also a vibrant black market of guns around the country especially at the back door, where the “free” flow of weapons is making current firearms statistics largely inaccurate.
The PNP addressed gun proliferation in its summit on firearms control with the aim of enforcing strict licensing procedures and stiffer penalties. The summit comes at a time when the country gears up for the 2010 polls, a season of ballots and bullets. The summit also recommends the creation of gun free zones in tourist spots like Boracay Island. These zones serve as testing grounds for the strategy of crime reduction via gun elimination.
The PNP is now calling on gun owners to renew expired licenses to update the weapons census (Western Visayas accounts for 29,440 of the country’s half a million expired gun licenses to date). Renewal is relatively affordable yet many gun owners procrastinate. Laws are after all weak and enforcers have other priorities.
Besides, how does one really take stock of civilian-owned guns? These are well hidden in houses and can only be discovered (God forbid) by adventurous children with a bad aim and no concept of the finality of death.
At no other point in Philippine history has gun ownership hit an all time high. Next to diplomacy or court settlement, a gun provides closure to official, political, personal, family, or spur of the moment disputes. Many Filipinos also romanticize guns, like in the movies (where real life is oftentimes based). Guns exude power and command respect via the fear they instill.
But with many of these turning up on irresponsible hands, the refurbishment of gun control laws (25 existing bills in RP) or the creation of gun free zones can only do so much.
What the Philippines really needs is a different look at guns.
Filipinos should start thinking that like any other device the gun was invented for a purpose. It is made to kill. One cannot buy a gun and hope he’ll never use it.
The Philippines is not at war. Guns in the hands of civilians have only been used in crimes (road rage?), accidental shooting, suicides and indiscriminate firing during many a New Years Eve celebrations, and these always end with regrettable results.
Until we as a people acknowledge that a gun less society is the best way to fight crime, surviving peace time Philippines is tougher.