Doctors doing volunteer work in Mindanao are arming themselves. In Ilocos Sur, the fatal shooting of Regional Trial Court Judge Reynaldo Lacasandile has revived proposals for members of the judiciary to pack guns for self-defense. Journalists, favorite targets of murderers, have been encouraged to own guns for their protection, with training in marksmanship provided by the Philippine National Police.
As the killings of journalists this year have shown, however, packing a gun is rarely a deterrent to an attack, especially at the hands of someone for whom murder is the principal means of livelihood. In lieu of self-defense, groups facing threats are seeking government protection for their members. But the number of threatened groups is growing, with nurses the latest to demand protection after a nurse doing volunteer work was raped and left for dead in Maguindanao.
The PNP does not have enough personnel to keep the country’s booming population safe. It would be impossible to provide special police protection to everyone who has ever received a death threat. The better tack is to work for a general improvement in peace and order nationwide, with the government keeping everyone safe. A key requirement is the strict enforcement of gun laws, with no sacred cows. Local political kingpins and other influential personalities must be covered. They must be prevented from keeping private armies or turning their fiefdoms into havens for smuggling weapons and other types of contraband.
The past weeks have shown how easy it is to obtain weapons in this country and get away with their illegal use. A grenade was set off near De La Salle University at the end of the final day of the Bar examinations. On the same morning that Judge Lacasandile was murdered, the treasurer of Adams town in Ilocos Norte, Elpidio Sy, was also shot dead. As in all other crimes, one of the best deterrents to more murders is to catch the perpetrators and send them behind bars.