The Issue of Gun Violence in The Philippines

Gun violence in the Philippines (essay)

United States of America have the highest gun-related death rate in the world. They have easy access to buy guns and anybody can have one, they have the most number of gun owners in the world. On the contrary, Japan have the lowest gun-related death and they can’t buy gun easily because they have many strict restrictions and regulations of having one. That’s why they are one the of the safest country in the world (Fisher, 2017).

As a result, a lot of questions arise concerning on who should be allowed to own guns and how those particular guns obtained. Strict gun control regulations are needed since gun control makes weapons less accessible to criminals, mentally ill, and terrorist, it can reduce the number of gun-related deaths in our country. Davao city has become very strict in firearms because of the incident that happened at the Roxas Night Market and Marawi. Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte advised the legal gun dealers to have strict guidelines from selling guns to prevent illegal activities and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio advised the local gun stores to get ready of its new regulations. Expect the crime rate will be low in the future (Revita, 2017). Even though gun is for self-defense and fun sport, it should have stricter regulation to reduce crime rate, to lessen the accident caused by improper usage of guns, and to prevent gun homicide.

Gun Control Measures

Stricter Regulation to Reduce Crime Rate in the Community

Crime rate in the Philippines is very high, riding in tandem is one very popular modus of robbery in the country. They usually used gun to do the illegal activity. Other violent crime involving guns is kidnapping. In the current regulation of the country guns are readily available. President Duterte suggested to implement stiff regulation of selling guns. “The rules on gun proprietorship in the Philippines is strictly imposed. The Philippine government is expected to execute stricter controls on gun ownership as President Duterte bloomed easy access to firearms and ammunition as cause for rebels and terrorist in the Philippines. ” Felongco (2017). This regulation must be implemented as soon as possible to secure the communities and have a safe country from invasion of terrorist and other crimes.

Most of the crime committed are those who don’t have license of their guns or they buy it from the black market or smugglers. Clark (2018) state that laws that limit the privileges of law-abiding gun owner don’t make sense because most gun crime is committed by those who illegally possess gun, people who illegally possess firearm are mostly involved to gun related crime. When someone is shot in the crime scene, the authority will not trace any evidence because the ballistic will not much or will not find the owner of the bullet being shot. So guns must be license and they should have done ballistic test to identify easily a crime if ever the owner commit a crime. Fenequito(2017) state that Duterte said that the free control of owning a gun and buying of ammunition became the way of the enemies of the state to gain control with these firearms in fighting against the government’s soldiers.

Duterte said he will make an office who handle strict implementation on gun possession in the country. He also said that he will give guidelines to the new Secretary if Interior and Local Government Gen. Eduardo Año to ensure the rebels will have no access with guns and ammunitions. The president is very concern and protective to his countrymen. All gun store owner must inform their client about the proper procedures in purchasing ammunitions.

Stricter Regulation to Lessen the Accident Caused by Improper Usage of Guns

Children and teenager they are the most victim in ligaw na bala or stray bullet. According to aftermath (2018) From 2006-2016 there were 6,885 deaths from unintentional shooting happened in US. In 2016, almost 500 accidental firearm deaths occurred. Unintentional gun deaths occur mainly in age 25 and below. … In 2014, approximately 2,549 children less than 19 of age died and 13,575 were injured due to gunshot. Adolescents are particularly liable to accidental shooting due to their behavioral characteristics such as impulsiveness, feelings of being invincible and their curiosity about guns. According to the NCHS Vital Statistics System, there were 77 children under the age of 18 in the US in 2015 died due to unintentional shooting. In Addition, 948 nonfatal gun and shooting accidents resulted in an approximately 461 children are in need to be hospitalized for their injuries. Children who find unsecured, loaded guns around the house or in the family car are most likely involve in gun related problems.

According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Iannelle (2018) state that “The absence of guns from children’s homes and communities is the most reliable and effective measure to prevent firearm-related injuries in children and adolescents. ” However, there are still families who possessed firearms at home has not decreased in recent years. During Christmas holidays expected to have many injury of stray bullet, but last holiday season less were reported of incident of stray bullets. Villanueva (2018) reported that Fely a 38-year old of Bantayan, Ilocos sur who was victim of shooting, while she was preparing food at her house last Dec. 24,2017 she heard guns shoots and she felt something hit her face just above her mouth.

Stricter Regulation to Prevent Gun Homicide

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of firearm-related deaths is on the rise, and other common methods of murder such as cutting or piercing, and suffocation remain flat. Base from CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, from 2010 to 2016, guns were the most-common weapon used in homicides. Tools that cut or pierced such as knives were the second most-common weapon used in homicide during that period. While the third most-common method of killing was suffocation. About 70. 5% of total homicide were accounted for gun murder it is more than two-thirds in that period. (Scutti,2018) The rising numbers if gun related homicide was approximately eight times higher of those involving cutting and piercing (1,781) and approximately 30 times higher involving suffocation (502) in the year 2016. (Fox, 2018)

A study found that counties in states having a strong gun laws had lower rates of gun related homicides than counties with weak laws. In states with weak gun laws, counties had lower down firearm kill rate if the neighboring states had strict regulations set up. But states with strong gun laws had lower firearm kill rate regardless of the strength of regulations in bordering states. Lead study author Dr. Elinore Kaufman of New York-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center said via email that “Strong laws in one state may have a protective effect across state lines. ” Researchers examined data from 2010 to 2014 for firearm homicides and suicides, In 3,108 counties in 48 different states. Base from the examined data, for every 100,000 people in the population, there were about 10-gun suicide and more than 2 murders involving guns.

The researchers also ranked states based on the strength of gun laws, to see if this might have an impact of sudden increase to suicide or murder rates. With the score of 10, California had the strongest gun control regulation. (Rapaport, 2018). A group called Gunless Society of the Philippines is demanding for a revision of current laws regarding gun ownership to at least limit the number of firearms a citizen can own. Norman Cabrera, head of the Gunless Society of the Philippines, said that nowadays people can register an unlimited number of guns. He also added that the policy of owning a huge number of firearms allows the proliferation of private armies. Limiting the number of fireams a citizen can own could help control gun violence. Cabrera said, "If you want to control crime, you have to the control criminals. And if you want to control the criminals, you have to control guns. ". He said among 195 countries in the world, the Philippines ranked 10th in the Highest rate of gun-related deaths. Unless this is addressed, Cabrera said, the country is in "very big trouble. " (Cable News Network, 2018)

Concession

Even we are against of having easy access to buy or own a gun to avoid crimes and violence to the community we also acknowledge the positive side of having a good intention to guns. For us not to be bias on our paper and to have balance to our work.

Gun is for Self-Defense

Firearm or gun is very important to protect ourselves if your life is in danger. You can help not only yourself but the community if there are terrorist will invade your place. According to Field (2017) The national Rifle Association announced in 2013: “studies show that guns are utilized more than 2 million times each year for individual assurance, and that the nearness of a gun, without a shot being discharged, prevents crime in many situations. ”. After the mass killing of children at Sand Hook Elementary in December 2012 in Newtown. Connecticut. Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the NRA, said “The main thing that stops an awful person with a weapon is a decent person with a firearm. ” Weapon owner of America expresses that outfitted subject of murder no less than twice the same number of culprits as police do each year, 1,527 to 606. GOA also said that: “of the 2. 5 million times citizens use their firearms to protect themselves every year, the overwhelming majority merely display their guns to guard or shoot a warning shot to frighten the attackers.

Under 8 percent of the time, a resident kills or wounds his/her attacker. ” Ingraham (2016) state that less than 49 percent of gun owners say they own a gun mainly for protection, Pew Research center said, a share not less than 22 percentage points since the late 1990s. Gun right groups like National Rifle Association compile reports of situation like Indianapolis home invasion to point out the social benefits of decent guys with firearms who guard themselves and their community from criminals or bad guy. Charlesworth (2015) The father of a family was shot twice trying to protect his wife and their 6-month old. The family survive the brutal home invation.

Gun is for Sport

Firing a gun in a shooting rang actually relieve stress and learn self-discipline. According to Health Fitness Revolution (2015) Regardless of whether you’re preparing for the military or police academy or just for recreational activity, going to a shooting range can be stress-relieving adventure. Believe it or not, the advantage of taking an interest in shooting games can enhance your health both physically and mentally. Shooting guns can build physical discipline by increase in strength, stamina, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills. You can also learn to focus by removing your worries and you find yourself in the field and focus on the target. Also it can increase mental discipline, advances personal responsibility, and promotes liberty.

It builds courage and confident by overcoming your fear. According to SunStar Cebu (2018) owning a gun is for their protection and can be helpful according to the Archdiocese of Cebu. A pistol is not meant as a thing to hurt others, but for use in a healthy and liberating sports that relieve stress said Fr. Marty not his real name. Sport Shooting is fast developing sports here in the country, and while I still cannot discover the opportunity to effectively be a part of that enviable league, I do have fun during weekend on the range, and I know that I share this joy with many others out there who do not have time to immerse themselves fully into the sport said Gamboa (2013). Shooting in the range is somehow good for ourselves and make us responsible and good person in general.

Stricter gun control laws are needed since gun control makes firearms less accessible to criminals, terrorist and the mentally ill, with these strict regulations it can reduce the number of gun-related death in the Philippines. Although many people feel that gun control violates the right to own a gun. Controlling the distribution and sales of firearms to civilians is necessary because of the homicide rate involving guns and the violence caused by the criminals with the use guns is rising especially in our country. If gun control regulation were to go through there would be a significant change in gun-related crime and fatality rate. It can protect ourselves and our love ones from criminals.

Conclusion

So what? Gun is not the cause of violence, crime nor harm to others, it’s the one holding a gun with a bad intention. So we must not blame the tool for causing terror to the society. The gun owner must educate, liberate, train and have test like mentally and physically to be more suitable for them to have gun. President of a country must do their power to protect their country man, and must have strong political will to fight the abusive gun owners. The government must regulate and have strict rules for releasing gun license. The Philippine government should be inspired in Japan's regulation of guns because they are ranked with the lowest gun-related death in the world because they have long process of having a limited choices of gun in their country.

The PNP department must have hard exams about guns, they must test the applicant if they know how to shoot and hold the gun properly and lastly they must have psychological test if they have mental problem for they are not suitable of having license gun. The applicants must have a gun and safety seminars to widen their knowledge about the pro and con of having guns and their consequences. The legislative and executive must make a law to rise the tax of firearms and guns so that authorities can control of having one and minimize the casualties cause by guns. The law enforcement agencies have guns issued by the government, we must entrust to them the criminals. They are legal to protect the civilians and it’s their job to make us safe. The civilians are not allowed to buy illegal guns like smugglers and black market. We must report to the authorities if we know some syndicate selling illegal guns. As a student and responsible citizen I do not support violence cause by irresponsible handling and poor judgement of using guns because owning a gun is a privilege.