Indeed, as Commissions on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Sixto Brillantes reportedly stated, “the entire national police force and the Armed Forces were already exempted” from a nationwide gun ban related to the coming 2013 elections. This is, of course, a no brainer. Police and military forces by the very nature of their jobs bear arms — because they supposedly do so so that civilians don’t have to.
So this makes the second part of Brlllantes’s position quite moronic: “As the Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the exemption is presumed to be there.” This follows recent reports of Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III seeking a “personal exemption” from said gun ban…
Comelec Commissioner Elias Yusoph said the poll body on Thursday morning received a letter from Mr. Aquino, who asked that he be allowed to carry around a “short firearm†during the elections.
“He is asking for a personal exemption for his short firearm. He will go through the same process. No special treatment, just the same treatment as the others,†Yusoph said in an interview.
Brillantes’s leap in dubious logic in his lame attempt to pave the way of his rubber-stamping of BS Aquino’s “request” leaves out one important detail: the President of the Philippines is a civilian. One of the most fundamental tenets of Philippine democracy (and America’s democracy after which this former colony’s form of government is modelled) is very clear on this matter:
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Civilian rule trumps military authority.
The fact that BS Aquino’s request is for a personal exemption and that he will “go through the same process” ironically further highlights his acting in this instance in precisely this civlian capacity of his.
Being Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces does not in any way subtract from the nature of the President as civlian, nor does it imply membership within the domain of the military command. Being Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces is an assertion of civilian authority over the military, not membership in it.
What then justifies the President of the Philippines bearing arms during an election?
Quite simply, nothing.
BS Aquino has a well-armed, well-equipped, and well-trained contingent of elite troops as his personal guard who, by the same overarching principle of a need for the police and military to bear arms, are there so that the civilian they are protecting need not be so armed.
The Philippine President’s lame attempt to talk his way out of these simple democratic principles have led him to use words that come at such a bad time — a time when America, reeling from the massacre of school kids by civilian gunmen is debating its own regard for civilians’ right to bear arms. The president’s words were not only lame but plain insensitive…
Aquino said that studies have shown that areas in the United States that have a liberalized policy on licenses to carry concealed weapons have experienced “a marked drop in crime statistics.â€
“Areas na naghigpit had seen an increase [in crime],†he said.
Perhaps, BS Aquino should try saying that while facing the grieving mother of one of the “statistics” of these shooting rampages.
To president BS Aquino, gun shooting is a mere hobby. To military and police forces, it is part of the job. Perhaps if Noynoy focuses more on understanding these subtle difference in job roles and apply a bit of perspective around the importance he places on his hobby, the question on whether he should continue insisting that he be allowed to carry around his peashooter while he is President of this sad republic will become a lot clearer to him.
It is certainly clear to most normal people.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
If he were to use his gun just like Christopher Walken in Deer Hunter I will be all for it . Is that libel?
This decision of his would likely blow up in his face like wile e. coyote’s schemes to catch the road runner.
P.S.
Is that libel?
I think he’d still miss at that range anyway, Ed.
Ha, is that a serious question? If you were the President of the Philippines you would not drive around in a tank, wear body armor, and have a snub nose,.357, 7 shot revolver under your shirt at all times? Sure you would not. People think this guy is dumb, well, no he is not. His role is well-played, each move calculated. Lest ye be fooled, you will miss the fact that he is as shrewd as they come. AND if he carries a personal firearm at all times it is proof positive that he is not as dumb as some people think he is. Come on, look what happened to his Dad. Then he almost got whacked when his Momma was President. He is a smart guy, you’d carry a piece too, if you were him, unless you are an idiot. You know, how dumb can the guy be? He is the President of a country.
more like the C-in-C has UTAK PULBURA.
guns, porsche, even cigarettes – in p-noy’s case penis envy.
trying to make up for/hide the ‘mommy’s boy’ he really is.
The next massacre – from what i reliably hear – FoI (lack of quorum), and the TRO on cybercrime bill.
You kill free speech, and accountability, and you destroy any pretence of democracy.
let’s hope people do not just bend over and take it up the ar$e as usual, but show their opposition, and contempt at the creeping dictatorship, which the LP/admin want to be complete after the 2013 elections ( SWS and Smartmatic willing)
I doubt that the yellow mind control won’t wear off after aquino’s clear act of dictatorship by trying to implement his e-martial law. I also doubt that he would stay in power once the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan.
Aquino is afraid of his own shadows. Quick increase the dossage of his anti-depressant medication. Before , he starts shooting everybody…
To answer the title, I might just say, because he’s one of the warlords of this country, and the one who got luckiest in 2010.
Oh, and warlords always need guns.
The president is a gun enthusiast and his level of skills for it is exceptional. Buti nga sumunod pa siya sa tamang proseso na tama naman.
The president applying for exemption I do not find issue with. I think that is okay as he is a civilian as you mentioned. Maybe the Comelec should read up on it as maybe this is the first time they have a gun enthusiast president.
But with regards to the issue of gun control, personally, my view on this is that a gun ban would only prevent legal gun owners who have gone through the process as properly as they could have from carrying theirs. This does not prevent the illegals. They were already illegally acquired and handled by unlawful individuals, what makes a new resolution/law change that?
I am not a gun enthusiast or an owner, but really, as long as the firearm is legally acquired with the proper training and handling, just as you would when obtaining a drivers license (but stricter) then it should be okay.
Then you just have nip the source of the illegal firearms as best you can to limit the opportunities of obtaining illegal firearms.
This is my take on it. Cheers!
meb-bi the gun is to become reminder — perSiNoynoy does not fire blanks. And don’t even ask if he always hits the target.
Well, as you have said and quite put it in a beautiful tone, to NORMAL people. And since the son-of-a-bitch is far from normal and have been missing his medications his momma died, what do you expect? Look at the way he held the rifle? Is that the NORMAL way to carry it? Hah, back in my day, you’ll get a slap in the nape and hard thud in your butt if you carry a rifle that moronic way.