Media men join basic firearm safety course

Some 22 media practitioners in Cebu yesterday joined a basic course on firearm safety at the Kamagong Gun Club Shooting Range at Central Command Headquarters in Camp Lapu-Lapu, Lahug. US-based Cebuano Rey Abad, who is a certified member of the National Rifle Association of Houston, Texas and a Grandmaster of US Competitive practical shooting, conducted the training. Abad is also the chief firearm instructor at Elrey's Dimension Inc. in the United States. He usually charges US$50 or P2,600 per hour for a minimum of three hours per person but conducted the seminar to the media for free because he wants to help the industry, his father being a member of the media in the past. He advised media practitioners who are interested to own a gun and those who are already gun owners to apply what they learned from the seminar and practice more. He also told them to always be in control of their gun and not let the gun control them. KBP-Cebu chairman Edward Abad, the trainer's brother, said the basic course aims to give awareness to media practitioners on how to handle a gun safely whether one is gun owner or is still planning to own one. "We may never know what will happen in the future but its best that we should know how to handle a gun to defend ourselves" Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists president Joy Tumulak said. The seminar was made possible with the help of ARMSCOR Gun Manufacturer in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, San Miguel, Crown Regency Hotel, McDonalds and the Kamagong Gun Club. - Iste Sesante-Leopoldo