Expert gives tips on personal security

MANILA, Philippines - Amidst the recent reorganization of the anti-organized crime commission in light of the seeming havoc being wrought by all kinds of organized criminal groups, a lecture by a firearms and crime resource speaker was held at the Stronghand One Gun Club in Quezon City for legally armed civilians, who don’t want to be the next crime statistic.

Samson Macariola has worked as a firearms resource speaker and has over the years lectured to students of the Philippine National Police Academy, NBI agents, judges, gun dealers and gun club members, as well as media men on various gun and crime subjects.

The broad themes of his talk to the civilians were: how not to accidentally shoot yourself or your loved ones with careless handling; and how not to be a victim of organized criminals preying on the innocent on the streets and at the home. Both topics struck a chord with the 40 or so attendees.

The recent spate of carjackings, with victims being killed, were of special interest to the audience. Macariola said that contrary to popular belief, carjackers were not striking at random. Rather, they were looking for specific makes and models that were “ordered by their buyers.”

“If you just happened to be driving alone in the specific vehicle that they were looking for, then you may be a target of carjacking, whether at night or in broad daylight,” he said, adding, “It’s best to be always alert, as these criminals ride motorcycles in tandem most of the time in order to get to you, or to escape quickly through traffic if necessary. If a bicycle can pass in the space on the driver’s side of your car, then so can a motorcycle. And the carjacker will always approach on the driver’s side first, being the shortest path to taking the car.

“So, if you can keep that space small at all times, without hitting the car next to you, then they may look for another vehicle of same brand and model,” Macariola advised.

He said that “being alert means that you should be aware of suspicious people way before they get to your driver’s side of the vehicle. If carjackers sense early on that you are on to them and are taking evasive action, they usually just go look for another car like yours. But once they get beside you on the driver’s side, then it’s actually game over for you.

“Even if you are legally armed, don’t attempt to shoot it out anymore as you have been outmaneuvered already. At this point, it’s far easier for them to shoot you than for you to hit them. And, if you still manage to wound or kill one of them in self-defense and drive away, the others will still remember your plate number and track you down in your home later on. It will no longer be carjacking, but kidnap for ransom that you will have to contend with.”

Macariola said that it is better to peacefully give up your car at that point, and live to buy another car than fight and lose your life because you had already been outmaneuvered.

Some people in the audience said that with all the motorcycle riding people around the metropolis zipping in and out of traffic, going past you and around you, it actually makes narrowing the space on the driver side quite difficult.

The unsuspecting Jollibee or the pizza delivery guy may even get peeved at how you blocked his way to meet a time-pressured delivery.

Surrendering your car to carjackers also sometimes means that they would take all your belongings. A poor victim peacefully gave up not only his car, but his laptop, wallet, mobile phone and even clothes on the same day that the yoga teacher and Sheryl Sarmiento were murdered. At least, he lived to talk about it.

Aside from carjacking, there have been instances of armed robbery inside homes. A seasoned shooter at the meeting privately recounted how three men armed with M16s and a pistol entered his gate as his driver and maids returned from the market. The gate was not immediately closed because the driver was carrying a heavy cooler into the house.

The men tied up the help and one guy ransacked the downstairs while another, with maid in tow went upstairs.

The owner was in his bedroom, heard the commotion and sensed something was wrong. He had only one loaded magazine at that time for his licensed firearm and had no time to load others.

Still, he set up a barricade position facing his door and when the bad guy came up and saw him prepared, the intruder shouted, “Baril,” and let go of the maid. He ran down the stairs, and with the others left the house carrying whatever they had and sped away in an SUV.

The would-be victim said that luckily they decided to abandon the heist and he didn’t have to shoot it out with the criminals.

“If I had shot one of them, the others would surely come back for me later and I’d have to sell the house and move, ” he said. “As it is, we call it quits.”

He has since installed CCTV cameras around his house, so he will not be caught by surprise again.

Macariola said that if you wake up because you hear a commotion or an intruder, “don’t get your pistol to go down and investigate, but rather gather your loved ones into one room, lock the door and prepare to defend it. Keep trying to call the police and hope they arrive in minutes. Although in times like these, seconds count. Let the robbers take what they want to take. It’s not worth risking your life and family for. The firearm is to be used only as a last resort when your life is in imminent danger.”

“That lecture was an eye-opener and busted many preconceived notions about personal security and its legal ramifications,” remarked a member. All those in that general club meeting were gun owners, and most shoot regularly hoping they would be prepared if the worst should happen. “The PNP may cite figures that crime is actually declining, but as long as you hear of people you know who are being victimized, you have a dreadful feeling it might happen to you too,” said one member.

“In the end, we are hopeful that the reorganized Presidential Anti-organized Crime Commission is able to do the long hard job ahead of it,” said another member, “but still, we have to be prepared.”