THREE ARTICLES, BIG MESSAGE!
1. The Ampatuans, by PNP records, have registered and licensed at most 274 firearms.
One of the poorest provinces in the country, Maguindanao is filthy rich with guns and ammunition, thanks to the proliferation of private armies, a festering rebellion, and a government that has no problem going to bed with friendly warlords.
More specifically, in throwing their full support behind the Ampatuans and their fight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), government officials directly provided arms and ammunition to the Ampatuans, relaxed restrictions on the issuance and purchases of guns and ammunition, and turned a blind eye toward apparent abuses in gun-control policies.The Ampatuans, by PNP records, have registered and licensed at most 274 firearms, barely a fourth of the total seized from in and around their mansions last month. Their licensed firearms are also barely enough for 10 percent of the estimated 2,000 militias that they had employed and armed while in office. - P C I J (http://pcij.org/stories/ampatuans-used-public-office-to-amass-mostly-illegal-guns/)
xxxxx
2. Huge number of loose firearms at large
Citing reports by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS), Biazon noted that some 1,110,372 loose firearms are in the hands of private armies and criminals. The number is four times larger than the combined firepower of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. -Philippine Star
xxxxx
3. Lack or Corporate Responsibility by Gun Dealers
PROGUN-Runners are composed of people in the business of selling guns. They gun-profiteers, they are anti-peace, they are PROGUN-Arrogance, and their marketing strategy are irresponsible. They believe that -- (1) more gun-aided-crimes would translate to increased feeling of terror by the people, then (2) the more people are afraid, they come in with their marketing slogan that says "owning a gun is the best self-defense", and (3) then more people will buy guns.
These gun runners are also the proponents of policy change that will not put a limit to number of guns a person can possess. In line with this, they don't like gun licensing but they want only person licensing. They are also don't want ammunition control. Another trademark proposal of these gun runners is they want the licensing to be administered by a Board of private persons that they can "influence".
These gun runners also earn a lot from percentages of grease money for no-hassle permits. Our society is facing a huge crime problem now because gun permit requirements are compromised by these gun runners in conspiracy with corrupt adjudicators in PNP.
The 1,110,372 loose firearms that the PNP said that are in the hands of private armies and criminals are only those guns who were previously registered/licensed but failed to renew. Most of these guns were INITIALLY acquired lethrough gun shops who "assist" persons to get license in a process that corrupted the screening of requirements.
The corruption is a conspiracy between the gun dealers and the PNP adjudicators. The gun dealers may lose their permits in favor of nationalization of gun sales. The corrupt PNP adjudicators will also have to be eradicated through computerization of exam and cross-agency information exchange system.
