EDITORIAL — Loose guns abound?

A man has been jailed for accidentally shooting a 13-year-old boy in an internet café in Barangay Sambag, Bogo City, last Thursday, February 5.

As per a report in this newspaper, the 21-year-old suspect entered the internet café with a gun hidden in a piece of cloth. He was allegedly there to sell the gun to someone in the café and was even heard bragging about it.

But while there, he alleged accidentally pulled the trigger and the gun went off, hitting the victim, who was watching an online game, in the left arm.

The victim was taken to the hospital while the suspect fled. He was later arrested in the same barangay.

We are thankful that the minor didn’t sustain a life-threatening injury, but we would also like to raise some questions regarding this incident.

First: Where did the suspect get the gun come from? Parts of northern Cebu were previously known for the clandestine manufacturing of guns, but authorities insist this illegal trade has ended. Or are there still illegal gunsmiths still operating there.

Second: Just how easy is it for anyone to sell guns or buy them? Was this arrangement --by this we mean the gun sale-- something common? The fact that getting a gun can mean just meeting someone in a computer shop means good news for criminals but bad news for law-abiding citizens.

Third: How come the suspect wasn’t afraid to come out with the gun in public? He even felt comfortable enough to talk about it openly. Was he being protected by someone, or does he know something that we don’t.

What happened may just be an isolated incident, but then again it could be the symptom of something more concerning; the continued trade and proliferation of loose guns.

Loose guns, the general terms for guns that are unlicensed or produced illegally, are the backbone of an industry none of us want to thrive; the criminal industry.

If there are still illegal gunsmiths operating in the north of Cebu then they must be found and arrested. If there are people who think that selling or buying loose guns will be easy then they should be made to think otherwise.