More mediamen attend gun safety seminar

More members of the media are now interested in owning a gun for protection during the Basic Gun Safety Seminar last Saturday.

Organizers said the attendance this year compared to last year’s seminar has doubled, as at least 80 media practitioners and support staffs have joined this year’s training held at Parklane Hotel and at the AFP Central Command in Lahug.

The seminar was organized by KBP-Cebu Chapter president Edward Abad, together with the Police Regional Office-7, the Firearms Explosives Security Agency Guards Supervisory Section-7 and Armscor, the company that provided the firearms and ammunitions for the event.

The seminar is divided into two parts, the first of which was classroom lecture held at Parklane Hotel and the second was the actual firing of guns with live ammunition at the Kamagong Gun Club located at CentCom.

The training was overseen by Edward’s younger brother, Rey Abad, a USPSA grandmaster based in Houston, Texas who has been considered one of the best pistol champions in the US, and a police academy instructor in that country.

Besides Rey, the other resource people in the seminar were FESAGSS-7 representative Emil Agpalsa, and national junior shooting champion, the 22-year-old Sandino Cinco.

Edward said that it has been undeniable that the lives of mediamen while doing their job have been threatened, and that some were already attacked and killed in the past years.

He said that owning legally a firearm would help deter a direct threat but it is necessary that one must know first the basics in safety gun handling.

The seminar lecturers taught the media members the laws of gun ownership, and on proper and responsible handling of these weapons.

Armscor provided participants with various types of nine-millimeter caliber pistols, ammunitions and target papers.

The seminar was also sponsored  by Charlie 101.9 FM; Megaforce Marketing Group; Kamagong Gun Club; Alcordo Advertising; Norkis; E & P Media Link Corp who provided some of the logistics for the entire activity. — Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE