Philippine gun lovers celebrate new president FEATURE 08/02/2010

Philippine gun lovers celebrate new president

FEATURE 08/02/2010 Standing amid an array of foreign assault rifles and local shotguns at one of the Philippines’ largest shopping malls, firearms aficionados celebrated the rise of the nation’s new president. Benigno Aquino, who took office on June 30, is an avid sports shooter and clips on YouTube show him using a semi-automatic pistol with great skill at a target shooting competition. “The feeling is that he is one of us. He also inhales gunpowder,” said Johnmuel Mendoza, head of PRO-Gun, the country’s largest firearms-rights group, at the twice-yearly gun show in Manila’s vast “Megamall.” Indeed Aquino, the Supreme Court Chief Justice and other influential figures have been frequent visitors to the shows in recent years, according to Mendoza. And in the gun-crazy Philippines, having a firearms exhibition alongside shops selling perfume, designer clothes and frozen yoghurt appears remarkably normal. Women carrying infants and schoolchildren attended last month’s five-day show, not necessarily to buy guns but just to marvel at the weapons as if they were browsing through the mall’s more conventional retail outlets..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100802com6.html

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