Typhoon Haiyan: gun culture of the Philippines hinders relief efforts

[Jesus Malverde]

There are other countries in the world prone to natural disaster, but what distinguishes the Philippines, and has made the delivery of aid even more problematic after Typhoon Haiyan, is the prevalence of guns.

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But there are few disaster zones in the world where nightfall is punctuated by the sound of gunfire and aid agency convoys need to wait for the army to restore a semblance of order before leaving their warehouses.

There are 3.9 million guns - legal and illegal - held by civilians in the Philippines, or about 4.7 per 100 people, which isn't that high in global terms. But people are prepared to use them. The murder rate is among the highest in Asia and three times that of the United States, at 8.9 homicides per 100,000.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/philippines/10444736/Typhoon-Haiyan-gun-culture-of-the-Philippines-hinders-relief-efforts.html

three centuries of Spanish machismo were followed by 50 years of American preaching on the right to bear arms, making for a volatile mixture.

Whatever the causes of the pervasive gun culture and high murder rate, the reports of armed looting that emerged two or three days after Haiyan struck surprised no one. Even if some reports were exaggerated, the Philippines' reputation for poor law and order preceded it.

The army and police have sent reinforcements to control Tacloban, the worst affected city, leading Mr Roxas to declare today that looting had been stopped.

But Jericho Petilla, the energy secretary, said of Ormoc, another city in Leyte province: "On Saturday, Ormoc city was still under control. Now there is no control."

Ferry passengers were reportedly being held up by armed men on arrival at the port, he admitted.

On Monday, the head of the United Nations' disaster assessment team in Tacloban said he would not deploy an aid convoy without a military escort. On Tuesday that process was still in its early stages.