Gun loose

For more than half of my life, I lived in a humble subdivision in a northern municipality. It's not a fancy village but dwellers are decent - they have cars, blue collared jobs and children who attend private schools.

This place is quite far from the city but we enjoy the amenities this developed land offers. If you ask me, I don't think a lot of people know about this residential lot. The actual subdivision is a bit off the main road and we don't have prominent neighbors to speak of.

I remember that my childhood was full of outdoor memories in the streets of this place I call home. Like other kids, I biked on the streets, played classic pinoy games and watched the basketball tournaments whenever there were some. It was an ideal place to raise a family. Yeah, you get the picture.

However, on a fateful afternoon of the 5th of February, while Joselito Batucan and Bruce Gomez were enjoying the quiet afternoon drinking liquor a heated argument erupted as school administrator Felmar Ibale stormed towards them. He complained that his car was dented by one of the men's kid. It was only a small dent by a small stone but to Ibale it meant a lot.

The next day, we made it to the headlines. Ibale shot his neighbors dead with a .45 caliber pistol. He did not use the gun once but several times. Neighbor gossips are saying that he ran to the house to get more ammunition when his targets were already dead. I do not know how it feels to own a car but a small dent on an extended property is not a ground to be in such a rage.

 After the incident, reports said that he fled causing the police to operate his arrest on a hot pursuit. The guards of our subdivision had no idea that the man who was speeding his car just killed a neighbor. While security guards in a residential area do not have the right to inspect the homeowners' property for lethal weapons, I bring this issue to carrying of licensed guns.

I recently read a law stipulating that journalists, whose line of work pose danger, are allowed to carry guns. Surely, it is understandable for a member of the media to protect his or her life. Yet, this man in the abovementioned incident who is known to be a high official of a school at Mandaue city, makes the public question. Why would he have a gun? Well, his high position in such school could merit it but I didn't find it logical enough for him to pull a gun for a petty issue.

Secondly, why would he be in such anger that a gun was necessary to pull out to mediate an argument? I could not vouch if he was troubled, sad or experiencing psychological problem but I do not find it reasonable enough. Guns are not for petty neighbor fights but for heinous crimes which would most likely did not happen at that time.

This is not the first time a gun is used because of a heated argument. I remember in the time of the election when the gun ban was put out that there were still crimes involving firearms. I don't know if the law is strict enough for them to fear the firearm or we are lenient on the handling of these weapons.

Now that he's on the loose (as of this writing) I only fear for the rest of our safety. He could come back, be trigger happy on a shooting spree where he killed his neighbors. It may sound like an absurd situation and probably extreme, but the worst could always happen.

It's time to review those gun laws and put it into strict enforcement. Ordinary citizens don't wear bulletproof vests every day.