MANILA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 2 million loose firearms circulate in the Philippines, according to the country's Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday.
Jonvic Remulla, the secretary of DILG, said 98 percent of the armed crimes committed in the Philippines use loose firearms, and the owners of loose firearms tend to be recidivists.
The remaining 2 percent of armed crimes were from licensed guns, usually committed within homes, said Remulla.
The Philippines, with a population of over 100 million, has long been troubled by the proliferation of firearms.
The country has seen multiple armed incidents this year, including street shootouts between police and kidnappers, school shootings, and gun-related homicides, according to local media reports. ■