Filipino politicians, guns, and power

MANILA, Philippines – Professional shooting attracts an elite crowd among them a handful of powerful politicians including President Aquino, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Congressman Jack Enrile.

The most important local gun competition this year is the Senator Bongbong Marcos Cup named after the son of the former Philippine dictator.

Many of the courses are sponsored by members of powerful political families.

An Ateneo sociologist says guns represent power.

For these people that actually seek it out maybe because of the recreation and maybe to a certain degree the power that it symbolizes.
LESLIE LOPEZ
SOCIOLOGIST

For politicians and non-politicians, the sport fosters camaraderie.

Shooting friendships can translate to big alliances off the course.

The President stood up for his shooting buddies when they were under fire including former Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno, political advisor Ronald Llamas and Land Transportation Office chief Virginia Torres.

Senator Marcos says politicians liking guns is only a coincidence.

It has nothing to do with politicians, it has to do with Filipinos. Filipino guys like guns, we like to shoot.
SEN. BONGBONG MARCOS
CHAIR, MARCOS COMBAT SHOOTERS

Guns are common in the Philippines. A 2009 paper by the Philippine Center for Transnational Crimes found that there is 1 gun for every 51 Filipinos or at least 2 guns for every family clan.

Civilians own 2/3rds of all legal guns, more guns than the police and military combined.

The Philippines isn’t that far away from the United States for deaths related to gun violence.

A sociologist from University of the Philippines explains, guns spread in Philippine society because many believe they can’t rely on institutions.

It’s not genetic, it’s not cultural, it’s not in our blood. The persistence of violence is rooted in the institutions that have been built.
JOSEPHINE DIONISIO
SOCIOLOGIST

Professional shooters point out hobbyists are not the problem — it’s unlicensed gun owners.  

In fact they don’t use licensed guns, they don’t follow the rules, they don’t follow the law. That’s why there is a saying that only outlaws will have guns.
MAYOR MICHAEL FARIÑAS
GUN ENTHUSIAST

Fariñas and Marcos both acknowledge some politicians have guns for defense. But both insist there is a clear line between those who use guns in competitions and those who commit violent crimes.

We’re looking to play this game and have fun with each other and maybe win a trophy or two along the way to have bragging rights. The sport helps you train for the life threatening situation but they’re different things all together. I don’t want to fight with anyone, I will run away if I can.
SEN. BONGBONG MARCOS
GUN ENTHUSIAST

Marcos may be willing to run away from a fight but he says he wouldn’t run away from a shooting date with the president.
Aquino and Marcos’s political parties formed an alliance this year but the two are not exactly friends. Marcos’ father Ferdinand Marcos imprisoned Nonoy’s father Benigno Aquino during martial law.

Sure, why not. When I’m shooting i’m happy it doesn’t matter who is there.
SEN. BONGBONG MARCOS
CHAIR, MARCOS COMBAT SHOOTERS

Given that your fathers were political rivals, what do you think people would think if the two of you were to go shooting together?

KATHERINE VISCONTI
RAPPLER REPORTER

They’d be surprised that we are not shooting at each other because everybody wants us to be fighting. The press always say we’re fighting. We’re not fighting. As far as I know if we go to a range and we go shooting, that’s it. There’s no big meaning or deep analysis, it’s just a sport.
SEN. BONGBONG MARCOS
CHAIR, MARCOS COMBAT SHOOTERS

Marcos and Aquino – separated by politics and history. But guns and the politics of accommodation may bring them together.   

Marcos and Aquino are an unlikely shooting pair. But in a country where many politicians are willing to overlook the past to make politics in the present run smoothly, we can’t count it out.

We aren’t sure if the shooting date will happen but it definitely would be fun to watch.

Katherine Visconti, Rappler, Paoay Ilocos Norte. – Rapper.com