A fighting chance

CEBU, Philippines - The election gun ban is deemed a bane to two objectives – protecting one’s life and practice time for practical shooting.

It was noticed that the gun ban has failed, ironically, to deter crimes with the reported increase in gang-related violence victimizing people who could have had a fighting chance had they been armed and trained to handle such properly. Worse, it also prevented eight youngsters from training for their October practical shooting competition in Malaysia.

In a dry firing session, the regular members of the Team Cebu Junior Shooters supervised by their guardians who tagged themselves “stage fathers” demonstrated their shooting stance. Sherwin Tan Un Kheng, 19 years old, is one of Cebu’s skilled shooters in the Open Division. His brother Saldie Ver, 18, who also shoots in the same division, is currently the Cebu shoot-off champion and, in fact, carries the title “King of Steel.”

Kevin Alih Cortes, 19, is the reigning Austral-Asia Junior champion in the Standard Division. Vince Louie Biscocho, 12, is shooting in the Production Division; Franz Virgil Pacaldo, 12, is current Baby Juniors champion in the Production Division of Cebu. And the Belarminos – Ariel Angelo, 18, is shooting under the Production Division with Martin Philip, 12, as current Cebu Junior champion while 11-year-old Marco competes in the same division.

As its name implies, the Open Division allows for the greatest range of pistol and sight modification designed for competition. The most notable modifications are the use of recoil compensators and red dot optical sighting systems and that the overall length of the magazine is restricted to 170mm. The Production Division, meanwhile, is strictly limited to the use of production handguns that are double-action only, mostly in the caliber of 9mm. Standard Division is limited to .40 caliber pistols and may not have muzzle brakes and red dot optics.

The Belarminos belong to the Kamagong Gun Club (Lahug); the Tan Un Khengs are of the Cebu Pistol and Rifle Associations Gun Club (Lapu-Lapu City). Pacaldo is from the Talisay City Gun Club. Kevin is of the Cortes gunsmith family of Mandaue City.

The plan for the dry firing session popped up after the recent senseless death here of an acolyte whose P500 mobile phone was snatched by alleged gangsters in need of cash to purchase more bottles of beer. He was gunned down. The interest on “young guns” is in connection with prior information that Martin Philip Belarmino serves the altar but keeps a firearm.

“Pang-self defense kay mo-serve man god na siya’g kadlawon like Misa de Gallo,” explains his father, Lowell Belarmino, in an interview at Camp Lapu-Lapu, Barangay Lahug the other Tuesday.

“Dili ta katag-an sa panahon. What if mahitabo nila, at least they have a fighting chance,” Lowell added.

It was learned from the boys that they were first lectured on the gun as “never a toy.” In fact, they aren’t allowed toy guns at home. That is part of the training. They were also taught that like the knife or any other bladed instruments, the meaning and purpose of the gun varies or changes depending on the person who is holding it. And that just like any other dangerous tool, the gun which carries the impression of being a tool for violence has then upgraded their degree of discipline and maturity.

For the dry firing, they were issued house guns to abide with the law.

The boys mentioned of physical training, sportsmanship, mental alertness, analytical skills and survival skills as the next best things to range safety and etiquettes tackled since day one of training. “Through kids camp (happens twice a year), they are taught the fastest and easiest way to respond given certain instructions and parameters. Exercising judgment call ba,” explained University of Cebu instructors Joavanni Pacaldo and Nelson Aldrich Esguerra, who accompanied their sons.

     In fact, Vince Biscocho noticed of a couple of range users (said to be traders) during that day who committed violations while testing probably new firearms. “Gilili pa gyod ang muzzle. Foul man na,” he said.

   As for the “course of fire” that gun ownership has to “competitively play along with,” the elder practical shooters advised their sons to “stick to their guns.”

    “If only it were a perfect world, the advocacy for a gun-less society would have worked out well. Pero we are not living in such,” Lowell further said.

    “Ours is a society that tolerates criminals. These guys were barred from training for the October tourney but were the criminals banned? Dunay human rights ang offenders, but how about these boys’ right to protect themselves? Or to represent the country?”