Philippine President Concerned Over Wave of Violence
Faced with the elections scheduled for 2013 in the Philippines, President Benigno Aquino reiterated today his concern regarding a recent wave of criminal violence, favored by an indiscriminate use of weapons.
Although the official statistics show a 10-percent decrease in violent actions in the country from 2011 to 2012, Aquino reiterated to the interior secretary, the police director and other security agencies the need to redouble preventive efforts.
“I am the first person to recognize that there is still much to do” in this respect, he said at a rally, referring to the scheduled intermediate elections, which he regards as a virtual referendum about his leadership.
He also referred to the recently reported cases of a drug addict who shot 19 of his neighbors and a bus conductor who killed five passengers that refused to pay the fare, in addition to mentioning four fugitive high-ranking officers.
The president stressed especially the need to fight the so-called private armies, drug syndicates, illegal gambling and control of missing weapons, 249 of which have been recovered.
“Not only because we want peaceful and safe elections in 2013, but also for more peace and order in our communities,” he said.
The aforementioned bloody incidents revived a quiet debate about the indiscriminate use of weapons, an issue that has been under discussion for more than 20 years without a legislative solution.
Experts Alert for Giant Sunspot Evolution
Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) remain on the alert for a huge sunspot detected two days ago on the Sun’s surface.
Called AR 1654, the spot is 10 times larger than Earth and moves slowly, but according to the solar rotation in a few days it will point to the earth’s surface, said researchers, who also consider intense flares may occur.
For sure the phenomenon will generates M class flares, but there have not been ruled out some class X flares, which are the largest according to the existing classification, they said.
According to the website SpaceWeather.com, AR 1654 “could be the sunspot to break the recent and long period of calm in space weather around our planet.”
Majority of Americans Support more Gun Control, Surveys Say
Several surveys reveal today that the majority of the Americans support the adoption of stricter laws on gun control to stop increase of violent actions in the country.
According to a survey done by “The Hill” newspaper, the 49 percent of the citizens consider current legislations too permissive and advocate radical action by Congress and President Barack Obama.
It also expressed that 11 percent of the surveyed are in favor to the rules that protect any person to freely acquire and carry guns for self-defense.
While another study, but from Gallup company and USA Today, showed a growing popular dissatisfaction with U.S. laws and a tendency for tighter restrictions on the purchase, sale and possession of ammunition by civilians in the country.
The two scores agreed that the desire of the population for more stringent measures worsened after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where an individual killed 20 children and six adults on December 14.
The massacre revived the discussion on arms control in the U.S., where official statistics estimate in about 300 million lethal devices in civilian hands.
To that purpose, Vice President Joseph Biden must hand over Obama tomorrow, proposals on how to collect bills of gun buyers and establish a national database to track them.
It also suggests to strengthen mental health mechanisms to toughen penalties for carrying guns near schools or delivery to minors.
Many of those initiatives should be in force next months and will just need the approval of the Executive.
But the powerful National Riffle Association said has enough support of the Congress to block all projects sponsored by Obama intended to restrict arms sales.
Via PL