Why Illegal Guns Flourish in the Philippines?
In a society where individuals don’t trust the authorities to protect their interests, people are taking the law into their own hands with homemade firearms. Advertising Jose, a 35-year-old Filipino, is looking forward to brisk business ahead of presidential elections next May. But he is not in the market to provide campaign placards or even the food candidates are fond of handing out to the poor to attract votes. Politicians are among a steady stream of clients for the revolvers and machine pistols Jose produces in the backyard of his home in Danao City on the central Philippine island of Cebu. “Usually we sell a lot when an election is coming and on our part we are very happy,” Jose told Reuters in his stuffy one-man workshop devoted to churning out the crude, illegal but highly effective weapons. With as many as one in 80 Filipinos owning a firearm, and gun licences regarded as optional, shootings over trivial incidents such as traffic altercations are commonplace. After several sho
