Gun Ban

Yesterday, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo yesterday ordered the cancellation of Mission Orders (MO) and Memorandum Receipts (MR) of military and police assets, civilians and other agents of the law, as well as ordered for the strict enforcement of the gun ban in the city. Robredo’s orders came after meeting with Mayor Celso Lobregat, Isabela City Mayor Cherry Akbar and Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar at the City Hall Conference Room to discuss, assess, thresh out and agree on what to do to quell terroristic acts especially after the bomb blast at the Atilano Pension House that killed three people and injuring 27 others. He suspects someone is behind or manipulating the series of bomb attacks to discredit the administration, thus the need to look deeper into this perception. 

Robredo said standard checkpoints, mobile and random checkpoints will be established in strategic places of the city to strictly implement the gun ban.

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo on Friday said that he has imposed a province-wide gun ban in Cagayan.

Bacalzo said that he suspended the permit to carry firearms outside residence in the whole province due to the alarming increase in the number of shooting incidents.

The top police official cited the shooting of Tuguegarao City Mayor Delfin Ting on Monday.

Bacalzo said that he has told Chief Superintendent Francisco Villaroman, Cagayan Valley regional police director, to immediately implement his directive and declare Cagayan as a "gun-free" province.

Ting was standing in front of the Delfin Hotel and Restaurant when he was shot by an unidentified gunman.

Today marks the Barangay Elections of 2010. It also marks the one month period since the latest Comelec Gun latest gun ban has been implemented. Practically 99.9% of all citizens, including gun owners, do not have anything to do with the barangay elections. The streets are plastered with nameless faces and people we never even met or know. Very few of us are directly involved in these elections, as in any other election. Frankly, most of us couldn't care less who would win or lose. And yet, we the gun owners and ordinary citizens bear the brunt of the oppressive rules such as the gun ban. For this current barangay election, all of us (not just candidates) are restricted from carrying our firearms outside of our residence for the period of one month prior to the elections and for 15 days thereafter or a total period of 45 days.

Please be informed that due to the upcoming Synchronized Sagunniang Kabataan and Barangay elections on 25 October 2010, there will be a Comelec Gun Ban this 25 September to 10 November 2010. 

The official Comelec Announcement can be read here:

http://www.comelec.gov.ph/2010%20Barangay_SK/resolutions/res_9019.html

As per PNP Circular, all PTCFOR's and PTT's are automatically suspended during this period. However, for further reading and information on the legal effect of the Comelec Gun Ban on illegal possession o firearms, read this: 

http://progun.ph/content/no-jail-time-violation-comelec-gun-ban

Responsible gun owners blameless
By Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:14:00 06/02/2010

Filed Under: Security (general), Police

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) is proposing a permanent total gun ban because, it says, there was a dramatic decrease of firearm-related crimes during the election period as a result of the ban.

The PNP is mistaking the trees for the forest.

It’s not the gun ban, but the sight of uniformed cops and soldiers in many parts of the country that deterred crime.

Criminal minds, whose guns are unlicensed, couldn’t bring their guns for fear of being caught in police-military checkpoints and by uniformed cops and soldiers who are present in practically every corner.

And you know why there are many uniformed cops and soldiers? They are not patrolling the streets but guarding politicians and VIPs!

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Karlon Rama, who writes for Sun Star was recently in Vietnam and Cambodia. From there he gives us a perspective of other Southeast Asian countries that have enforced a gun ban. Can we expect the Philippines to be much different?

"Unarmed. Cambodia, which I had just left days ago, and Vietnam, where I am currently, are two Southeast Asian countries where private firearm ownership is restricted.

Only policemen and soldiers have guns. It is a badge of power.

They carry it proudly as they enter bars and help themselves to a bottle of Anchor, Heineken or Halida.

The ordinary resident can do nothing.

Not surprisingly, stories of human rights abuses here are commonplace. This is the utopia people like Jesus Versoza want to bring about.

And yet, on a more mundane level, there is also the existence of crime--the absence of private firearm ownership notwithstanding.

What prevents criminals from committing crimes? Is it More laws? Increasing penalties? Or Gun bans? By their very nature, criminals are criminals because they do not follow the laws or rules. That is why criminals are also called "law breakers." By definition they break the law.

The deterrent effect of increasing penalties and more laws has long been discredited. More laws do not deter the commission of crime. It is the act of apprehending and jailing criminals which deters them from committing crime. The most strict laws in the world will never prevent the commission of crimes if there is no effective enforcement of these laws.

Erik Espina from the Manila Bulletin reminds us that we should look at the real motives behind gun control:

"When presidents begin to disallow ownership or the carrying of its own citizens of the means to protect themselves; when governments begin suspecting its own citizens as part of the peril to law & order, because they are registered/legal holders or carriers of guns, then it is time for the sovereign people to be suspicious of the motives of such prohibition."

Read the full article in Manila Bulletin: Permit to carry, first defense.

Gun owners' group asks PNP to reconsider gun ban extension 
By Mike Frialde (The Philippine Star) Updated May 25, 2010 12:00 AM