The 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the rights of American citizens to possess and carry weapons.   Most historians agree that the origin of this right goes back to 12th Century England wherein King Henry II required freemen to carry weapons for public defense and this policy was continued by King Henry III.   This was codified in the English Bill of Rights and when the the US Constitution was drafted, this right to bear arms was included and protected.

Philosophers and political writers such as Cicero, Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli and John Locke have all wrote about people’s right to have their own arms for their defense.   History tells us that tyrannical governments would disarm people and prohibit them from taking arms and use the military to eliminate and suppress  political opponents.   At first,  the right of citizens to bear arms is a collective right to protect themselves from oppression.   Recently, a landmark US Supreme Court decision on District of Columbia vs. Heller ( June 26, 2008) declared that this right is an individual privilege.  As the US Supreme Court declared ”…and to use that arm for lawful traditional purposes such as self-defense within the home. “

In the Philippines, despite being oppressed under colonial rule for more than 300 years under Spain, our constitution doesn’t have a counter part to the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution.    The Philippine Constitution guarantees a person’s right to live; but that right has a corollary; that a person has also the right to self defense and the means to protect one’s life.  

On the morning of October 8, 2008, a gruesome murder was announced in the news segment of a daily morning show.    Members of the dreaded Akyat Bahay Gang broke into a house in San Joaquin, Pasig City and hogtied all of the 6 family members. The gang’s motive is robbery.   One family member, Cherry Painaga, was shot in the stomach trying to fight off an attempted rape by the gang members.   She died at the hospital where she was rushed in.   This horrendous criminal act happened only a few blocks away from our residence.    What is ironic is that several hundred meters away, is an intersection where policemen are stationed. 

This sent shivers to the peaceful community of San Joaquin, Pasig.  This sent me and my household to implement strong measures to ensure that a similar event will not happen to us.  We doubled our locks, strengthened the security of all possible entry points plus made other arrangements to ensure that our residence is safe from any breaking and entry from lawless elements. But perhaps the most drastic that we have done, is that I purchased another firearm. 

I already possess a Tanfoglio 9mm pistol (which is duly licensed by the government, I’m a law abiding citizen).  My wife celebrated her birthday last November 9.  My gift to her was late for one week, I brought her to the recent AFAD Defense and Sporting Arms exhibit in SM Megamall and bought her a Taurus 9mm Compact Titanium Pistol, a high capacity pistol which is very light and ideal to be handled by a woman.   It is the hand gun recomended by a friend who’s a member of the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF). 

I have a collection of knives and swords in my house.  My wife and I have both studied kali knife fighting as well as escrima.   But against a thug armed with a gun, these antiquated weapons will be useless.    I am for regulated issuance of firearms to citizens.   It will be interesting to note that the firearms being used in crimes are not the firearms that are duly registered and licensed by responsible gun owners.   I remember several years ago in Australia, a new law that required surrender of licensed firearms. What happened was while the law abiding citizens turned over their firearms, the criminals did not.    Which made these citizens helpless to defend themselves which lead to the increase in armed robberies and assault.     Most of the owners of licensed guns in the Philippines have a common profile: that they are no thugs or hooligans but decent citizens who want to defend their family and property.

I mean no disrespect to the capability of the police force to protect its citizens. ( I have a lot of team mates in muay thai who are active policemen).    To quote Edmund Randolph, the first US Attorney General, “People who mean to be free must be prepared to meet danger in person, and not rely on the fallacious protection of armies.” 

I will protect my family from lawless elements with whatever means necessary.  I am of the opinion that I will be able to do this better with the protection of a firearm.

 

This is the Taurus 9mm Compact Pistol that I gave my wife as a gift.   Part of the gift is that every weekend, we will practice target shooting in our gun club.