Strict gun rules set in Philippines

Strict gun rules set in Philippines

MANILA (AFP): The Philippine interior secretary, Alfredo Lim, has ordered a crackdown on owners of unlicensed guns, including the bodyguards of politicians, after a presidential order to check the proliferation of weapons.

Bodyguards are a common sight in rural areas where they freely wield unlicensed assault rifles in public. In some cases, the bodyguards act as private armies for the politicians.

The Department of the Interior issued a statement on Friday ordering local officials to intensify the drive against illegal firearms and the carrying of weapons in public.

In a television interview on Friday, national police chief Panfilo Lacson said the rules against carrying unlicensed firearms had been on the books for a long time but "it's only now that the requirements are being fully implemented".