Shooting itself in the foot
DEFYING logic and common sense, the Philippine National Police (PNP) this month eased gun rules to allow civilians to own semiautomatic rifles such as the AR-15, the weapon of choice in 10 of the 17 deadliest mass shootings in America.
In a press briefing earlier this month, a police spokesman pitched the relaxation of these rules as a way to promote responsible gun ownership, so that people who already own these weapons would be encouraged to come forward and register them.
The spokesman also said it would be easier for the authorities to track suspects in gun-related crimes if all firearms were registered, including 700,000 loose or unlicensed ones.
This seems like a rather elaborate exercise in wishful thinking. Do the police really believe that gun owners with ill intent — say, criminals and goons employed by corrupt politicians — will rush to have their illegally obtained weapons registered, simply to make life easier for law enforcers?
By the same token, the “safeguards” that the PNP says are in place mean nothing to criminals — or psychologically unstable shooters, who are unlikely to present the authorities with their income tax returns, apply for police clearance or undergo psychiatric and drug tests.
The only people who might welcome the relaxation of gun ownership rules, says former lawmaker and gun-control advocate Carlos Isagani Zarate, are “the elite who have the wherewithal to purchase these expensive toys.” He adds that the new policy is headed in the wrong direction, since it would further promote a gun culture among Filipinos.
Indeed, the PNP seems to be moving in the opposite direction that other law enforcement agencies in the world are going.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world’s largest association for police leaders, with more than 33,000 members in over 170 countries, notes that semiautomatic assault weapons are routinely the weapons of choice for gang members and drug dealers. These weapons, the IACP says, “are regularly encountered in drug busts and are all too often used against police officers.”
In its policy statement on firearms, the IACP says it has been a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban since 1992, “because we, as law enforcement executives, understand that the criminal use of semiautomatic assault weapons pose a grave risk to our officers and the communities they are sworn to protect.”
Several senators have already spoken out against the PNP policy. “The PNP is shooting itself in the foot and compromising law enforcement efficiency and, above all, public safety,” Sen. Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos said in a statement.
Sen. Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros said limiting, not expanding gun ownership would ensure public safety.
“We should not allow anyone, especially politicians, business persons and their personnel, to own so many guns,” she said in a statement. “We must fix our gun laws, and stop the rise of political killings and warlordism in our country.”
In announcing the new policy, the PNP said it merely made “slight amendments” to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10591, or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act,” in a way that followed the intent of its authors. The revised IRR, it added, merely redefine “small arms” to include semiautomatic rifles of caliber 7.62 millimeter and below.
But like fully automatic weapons, semiautomatic weapons automatically reload after firing. The only difference is that a semiautomatic weapon will fire only once with each pull of the trigger, while an automatic weapon will continue to fire as long as the trigger is held. This does not make the former any less destructive. For example, the AR-15 fires bullets at such a high velocity that it can eviscerate several people in seconds. A single bullet lands with an impact intense enough to blow apart a skull and tear up vital organs.
Why the PNP would choose to “tweak” the IRR to allow civilians to own these kinds of guns is anyone’s guess. But some senators are on the right track when they say they will ask the PNP to explain the change in policy — and to reveal any lobbying done on behalf of gun manufacturers and importers.
Marcos and Hontiveros want to go a step further and close the IRR loophole by amending the law to impose an outright ban on civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons.
The move doesn’t have the support of all senators, however. Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, for instance, says he does not back a ban on such weapons because, as a gun enthusiast himself, he believes in responsible gun ownership.
Weighed against public safety — and the potential threat of having more deadly firearms in public hands — this enthusiasm for guns and “belief in responsible gun ownership” seem painfully shallow indeed.