Most Pinoys say guns cause crimes in Phl - poll

MANILA, Philippines - About seven in 10 Filipinos consider guns to be a major cause of crime and violence in the country, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey.

The poll, conducted from March 16 to 20, showed that 67 percent of Filipinos believe that guns and their proliferation are among the reasons why crime and violence occur in the Philippines.

This was echoed by most Filipinos in Mindanao (57 percent) and Metro Manila (80 percent).

Meanwhile, three out of four Filipinos (75 percent) support a policy of gun control in the Philippines, according to Pulse Asia.

Levels of support for gun control policy range from 66 percent to 87 percent across geographic areas and from 72 percent to 81 percent across socio-economic classes.

Metro Manilans are more inclined to support a gun control policy than their counterparts in Mindanao and the Visayas (87 percent versus 66 percent to 70 percent).

Majority levels of support for gun control policy are recorded across sub-regions (62 percent to 87 percent), with Northern Mindanao being the exception (48 percent).

On the other hand, only seven percent of Filipinos are against such policy, while 18 percent are unable to say whether they are in favor of the implementation of gun control in the country.

The survey also showed 78 percent of respondents favor a law allowing only law enforcers and licensed private security guards to carry firearms in public places.

The March 2013 Ulat ng Bayan national survey on gun control issues used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 representative adults, 18 years old and above.