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!
Now that those checkpoints are about to go because the election season is over, and the cops and soldiers guarding politicians and VIPs will no longer be wearing their uniforms, that’s when criminals will again prey on innocent citizens.
* * *
Now that cops and soldiers will no longer be wearing their uniforms, many of them can now abuse civilians because they can’t be identified.
You see, we can’t distinguish between a rogue cop or soldier from a criminal: Both carry guns and other deadly weapons.
Let’s not forget that some of those who were involved in butchering unarmed civilians, many of them journalists, in the infamous Maguindanao massacre late last year were policemen.
* * *
The problem with the PNP higher-ups is that they only see civilians who own licensed guns when most firearm-related incidents are committed by criminals with unlicensed guns.
And worse—as in the case of the Maguindanao massacre
—some crimes involving guns were committed by rogue cops.
Truth to tell, the police can’t be trusted.
Try calling the police when a neighbor’s house is about to be burglarized and they come long after the robbers have ransacked the house and maybe killed or raped its occupants.
Where were the cops when that Coca-Cola executive was being dragged out of her car by armed men on a busy street years ago?
Where were the policemen when publicist Bubby Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, were abducted by armed men and later killed in a lonely spot in Cavite?
Weren’t the culprits members of an elite unit in the Philippine National Police?
* * *
Why does the PNP pick on licensed gun holders who carry their firearms because their lives are in danger?
If the PNP can guarantee the safety of civilians who live dangerously, like this columnist, then by all means let’s have a total gun ban.
I’d like to put it on record that the threats to my life come mostly from people who are supposed to protect me—policemen, soldiers, public officials and influential persons whom I’ve criticized in this column or on my defunct radio and TV shows.
I admit that some civilians carry guns in public because it’s a status symbol, but then it’s the fault of the PNP that these irresponsible people were given permits and even licenses.
And the PNP now blames us, who are responsible licensed gun owners, for its mistake and ineptitude?
&*@Q^%^$#$!