By DANNY O. SAGUN

TOTAL GUN ban or just a campaign against loose firearms?

VARIOUS reactions have met the latest move by Urduja House to make this big province a safe place to live in. Gov. Amado Espino, a former police officer himself, apparently got exasperated by the rash of violence every now and then so that he came out lately with that executive order imposing a gun ban.

Can he as governor impose such order?

How about those with permits to carry outside their residence, are they now disallowed?

Without venturing into the legality or otherwise of that order, this corner fully agrees with the governor’s intention, foremost of this being to prevent the spread of violence. A person with a gun is more likely to either kill or maim another person or get himself killed or maimed than someone who is unarmed. Of course, many will disagree with that — like public order and safety office (POSO) chief Bobby Erfe-Mejia of Dagupan who was quoted by a radio station that criminals would have their day with a total gun ban.

This big province has had its share of violent incidents especially during the last election campaign. Guns snuffed out the lives and careers of San Carlos Mayor Jolly Resuello and San Manuel Vice-Mayor Apilado. So did assassins on Mayors Angelito Nava of Aguilar, Jose Peralta of Balungao, Conrado Rodrigo of San Nicolas, Guerrero Zaragoza of Tayug and other prominent victims whose families have yet to get justice up to this time although police would have declared such cases as already solved.

Here comes the latest incident involving armed followers of the rival politicians in Tayug. Guns proliferate in cockpits, night clubs and videokes, in busy narrow roads, yes almost every place. Guns seem to dictate the (dis)order of society.

The present Urduja House occupant might have wondered why he, a decorated police officer, could not stump lawlessness in his province. There must be something drastic that needs to be imposed. And gun ban, or to us, simply a renewed and serious campaign against loose fireams, is the answer.

Spines needs everybody’s support. Would he get it especially from the uniformed personnel themselves?

Ironically however, the province reportedly appropriated millions of pesos just to arm barangay officials which was an election campaign promise. If that move is not a contradiction to the governor’s wish, we do not know.

On the other hand, this gun ban should not be made a tool to persecute perceived political enemies