Call for total gun ban up
Bishops join growing clamor for permanent firearms control
By Christian V. Esguerra, Philip C. Tubeza
January 6, 2013

The death of 7-year-old Stephanie Nicole Ella by celebratory gunfire in Caloocan City on New Year’s Eve and the shooting rampage three days later in Kawit town in Cavite province that left eight people dead and 12 others wounded on Friday have drawn attention to a number of gun-control measures that have been rotting in Congress.

Nicole’s death and Ronald Bae’s shooting rampage have also led to calls for stricter gun controls and a total gun ban.

On Saturday, Roman Catholic bishops added their voices to the calls for a total, permanent gun ban and not only during election periods.

Among the gun-control measures gathering dust in Congress is the proposed Citizen’s Protection Act of 2010, filed by prolife groups and signed by 86 Roman Catholic bishops.

The signatories to the proposal included former Senators Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Wigberto Tañada.

Filed as an “indirect initiative,” the bill would limit carrying of firearms in public places to “those directly and primarily engaged in police, military and security matters.”

“Possession by civilians or private persons of such deadly weapons is not a matter of right,” it said.
“It assumes the predominance in our society of the law of the jungle tacitly encouraging a ‘war of all against all’ and ‘every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost’ rather than indicating trust in the government and our duly constituted authorities,” the bill said.

“Society can take no shorter route to anarchy than this road,” it said.

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