Gun ban should apply to all politicians – lawmaker

Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Gun ban could spell the end for private armies but must apply to all politicians whether they are on the side of the administration or not, a legislator said on Monday.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said that they would back calls for a total gun ban but only if the government will implement it fairly and without double standards.

He attributed election violence and the presence of private armies to politicians’ access to firearms and said that gun control would be a “good policy” but only if it is “total, meaning it should apply to all politicians whether pro-administration or opposition.”

“The problem is that the Aquino administration is accused of double standards in many issues and this is a major problem in the gun ban campaign,” he said.