Editorial

Title

Editorial

Language

English

Year

1939

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

~~A~NE D!!DaTOro~!!l!!T~ PubUshed Monthly by The National Rifle & Pistol Asso·ciation P. 0. Box 883, Jlfonila Subscription Rates: 1-Year P2.-; 6 illonths Pl.50; Single Copy, P0.20. VOL. I MANILA, AUGUST, 1939 NO. 2 l:IUIT()l214L CARRYING FIREARMS We understand that the Chief of the Philippine Constabulary has· requested from Malacafian the issuance of an executive order, under Section 905 of the Revised Administrative Code, prohibiting the .carrying of licensed firearms in all public places, except by persons who· have an immediate need. for a firearm in connection with the discharge. of their lawful occupation. We wish to express our sympathy for the motive prompting such a request, but we believe such an executive order would be too sweeping ·as to cause an injustice to licensed firearm holders throughout the Philippines. To give a few exampl~s of how such order would prove impracticable : A businessman from the province comes to Manila, carrying a large sum of money, and therefore armed with a licensed revolver. H~ finishes his transaction, and in the evening wants to go a movie or dance. hall-what should he do with his gun? Leave it in his hotel or lodging house room (where the chances a.re that it wm be stolen) or. take it along with him? The answer is obvious. So long as conditions of peace and order in many of our municipalities, especially in the City of Manila, are unsatisfactory to the extent that robberies are rampant, such an Our magazine cover for this issue shows Col. Antonio Torr'es, chief of police, pinning the gold medal on Patrolman Acosta of the Traffic Division, winner of the recent Manila Police Pistol Championship sponsored by the NRPA. The crack Traffic Division of Capt. Nievera won, hands down, the Farmacia Central Trophy for this year. 2 THE MARKSMAN August, 1939 executive order would entail an injustice. Again, a licensed firearm holder goes out on a spin in his automobile, and meets an accident .with a c.alesa .. The cochero, who is notoriously insolent as a clas.s, takes out an iron bar or a balisong during the ensuing argument. Isn't that the time for the car driver to have a firearm,, the display of which is always sufficient to make the cochero behave? Yet, under the proposed executive order, the car driver with a licensed firearm will not be allowed to carry his gun. We finaly believe that the prohibition of carrying duly licensed firearm is not the cure to this exhibitionistic tendency among our people. Does not a child react similar]y when he has a toy which is rare and the envy of his playmates? To the Filipino, a revolver is a prized object, whose possession places him a notch higher than the rest of his countrymen. Why? Because the right to possess firearms belongs only to ~l. limited few, to a very small percent!lge of the population. There are only two permanent solutions to curbing the display of licensed firearms; either confiscate all existing licensed firearms, and issue new licenses on a very strict basis ; or liberalize the issuing of firearms so that it may become commonplace to our- people. Naturally, we favor the latter procedure, for we are convinced tha;t:s_irice _our plans for Nationa~ Defense are based on a citizen army, our peopl_e niust- I?e trained as soon as possible in the intelligent ~nd proper use· of a firearm. And the sooner the government realizes this- fundamental axiom, the sooner we need not fear foreign aggression in the event of independence. NRPA * * * * REGULAR MEl\IBERSHIPp. I. CITIZENS Entrance Fee -------------- Pl0.00 Monthly Dues ______________ 1.00 LIFE MEMBERSHIP A lump sum of ____ ..:. _______ P50.00 Associate Member-Members of P.A., P.C. & Police No Entrance Fee-Monthly Dues, Pl.00 Sustaining Member For Foreigner only Entrance Fee ----- -------- Pl0.00 Monthly Dues ---- -------- 1.00 For Particulars write to NATIONAL RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION P.. 0. Box 883, Manila Clip application blank on page 52

Media