Cagayan leaders hail lifting of gun ban

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya ,Philippines  – Cagayan leaders yesterday hailed the lifting of the gun ban in their province, saying it’s a welcome development for all Cagayanos, especially to law-abiding gun owners.

The move, they said, would also spare the province from the negative impression that it is prone to violence when, in fact, its peace and order condition is improving.

“The lifting of the gun ban is most welcome to law-abiding citizens in the light of unsolved murder cases in the province and the unabated increase in crime volume,” said former Cagayan third district congressman Manuel Mamba, the provincial Liberal Party (LP) chairman.

Instead of the gun ban, Mamba, who said that 15 of his party colleagues have been felled by assassins’ bullets since last year’s elections, said authorities should strictly enforce gun control laws.

Camp Crame imposed it two days after Tuguegarao City Mayor Delfin Ting survived an attempt on his life in November last year.

“We are happy about the lifting since we in the provincial board had long been seeking this for quite some time now. We believed that the gun ban was actually unfair to licensed gun owners since criminals do not follow the law,” said Vice Gov. Leonides Fausto.

The lifting of the gun ban was also sought by Cagayan first district Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr., national president of the Philippine Practical Shooters Association.

Enrile said gun ban, if continued, would only deprive legitimate and responsible gun owners from carrying their firearms and defending themselves from lawless elements.

Chief Superintendent Francisco Villaroman, Cagayan Valley police director, said Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo approved the lifting of the gun ban last Wednesday.

The ban was also precipitated by unabated killings, including what were believed to be politically motivated, that have hounded the province in recent years. Among the victims were regional agriculture director Gumersindo Lasam and Rizal town mayor Raul de la Cruz.