‘We love guns’: school shooting exposes reality of Philippine crisis
While the country has gun-control laws, most Filipinos simply ignore them and arm themselves without much difficulty, experts say
In a press briefing on Monday, PNP spokesman Police Colonel Allen Rae Co, said a 9mm pistol was recovered from the 14-year-old suspect while a .38 calibre revolver was taken from the 15-year-old. Co said the revolver had been traced to a security agency all the way in Cebu City, some 240km (150 miles) from Tacloban.
Philippine authorities have tried to rein in gun proliferation in recent years. In 2013, Congress – many of whose members purportedly have large gun collections – approved a new law restricting gun ownership. Then president Benigno Aquino III, himself a gun enthusiast, signed Republic Act 10591.
Lawmakers and gun owners hailed RA10591 as the most restrictive law the country has ever had on gun ownership, although it clearly states that a Type 5 licence can be issued to “a citizen, who is a certified gun collector, to own and possess more than 15 registered firearms”, with no limit stated.
On paper, RA10591 is strict on acquiring and owning guns. Before they can buy a firearm, Filipinos have to get a licence, which requires police clearance, attending a gun safety seminar, and successfully passing drug and psychiatric tests.