Jaazeal Jakosalem
The Filipino phrase “utak pulbura”—literally translated as “gunpowder brain”—aptly describes a rigid, militaristic mindset that views violence and force as the ultimate solutions to societal friction. Today, this mindset is no longer confined to battlefields or police operations. It has begun to colonize our public spaces, creeping insidiously into our schools and embedding itself within the psyche of the youth. To protect the future of our nation, we must confront the dangerous normalization of firearms and intentionally dismantle the culture of violence in both our institutions and our communities.
Dismantling the “Gun Show” in Education
For years, a deeply troubling spectacle has played out across the country. Under the guise of “educational awareness” or “value campaigns,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) routinely set up weapon exhibitions in shopping malls and school campuses. Social media is replete with images from these events—such as a recent display by the AFP’s 79th Infantry “Marasigan” Battalion at West Negros College in Bacolod City—where children are encouraged to handle, pose with, and “aim” low- and high-caliber firearms for photo opportunities.
Far from being educational, these exhibitions serve a dual, harmful purpose. During school intramurals and college festivals, they frequently morph into vectors for political intimidation, red-tagging, and aggressive anti-communist rhetoric. Educational institutions must serve as sanctuaries for critical thinking, peace, and holistic development. They must firmly slam their doors against this militaristic encroachment and declare our campuses entirely military-free zones.
Debunking Gun Culture and the Illusion of Power
The Philippines has long romanticized a Western-style gun culture. Today, personal firearm ownership is widely embraced by individuals, prominent political families, and, most disappointingly, even members of the clergy and religious congregations. In our social fabric, guns have become a toxic additive to power. For many political leaders, carrying a weapon is treated as a safeguard to authority—an impulse fundamentally disconnected from the true essence of transformative leadership.
When viewed through a personalist ethical lens, a gun is often rationalized as a mere hobbyist’s “toy.” Yet it is a “toy” designed exclusively to terminate human life. Parents must urgently examine the psychic weight a firearm introduces into a household and its volatile impact on children.
Furthermore, a profound moral crisis emerges when church leaders own and display firearms as badges of honor. This is a stark, indefensible contradiction to the Gospel of nonviolence and the sacred identity of spiritual leadership. Our bishops must find their collective voice and speak unequivocally against this militaristic creep into our parish rectories and religious houses.
True Disarmament: Creating Gun-Free Sanctuaries
The recent tragedy in Tacloban City, where two young students violently turned on their schoolmates, has shaken the nation to its core. Three students were killed and 20 others were injured. These horrors compel us to ask hard questions: How are young people planning these crimes, and how are they accessing weapons? The answer demands radical, institutional self-examination.
To ensure absolute safety, schools must become strict gun-free zones. No armaments, no firearms, and not a single round of live ammunition should ever cross a campus perimeter. This prohibition must extend to civilian security guards as well. True security does not require lethal force; guards can be trained to maintain campus security through mandatory security screening.
Our academic administrators must fundamentally rethink the return of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) to colleges. Beyond the ethical questions of mandating military training for young civilians, the historical record of ROTC in the Philippines is deeply marred by systemic violence, hazing, and sexual abuse. Schools must systematically reject military exhibits, weaponized conferences, and the red-tagging of student activists.
Confronting False Security
The belief that owning a gun guarantees the safety of a home is a dangerous illusion. It does not secure a family; it merely complicates and escalates domestic risks. Over the past decade, national priorities have skewed heavily toward a militaristic agenda, funneling massive sums into the Defense Modernization Program while commercial firearm sales soar. The tragic byproduct of this trend is the unchecked proliferation of loose firearms and homemade “paltik” guns reaching households across the country.
True security is built on education, social equity, and psychological well-being—not firepower. As we dismantle the physical infrastructure of violence, we must also address its digital proxies. The unmonitored consumption of violent video games, aggressive internet subcultures, and toxic social media networks actively desensitizes young minds and emboldens violent impulses. This digital landscape requires vigilant, empathetic parental guidance.
Moving Forward
We cannot build a peaceful democracy on a foundation of gunpowder and fear. Ending the culture of violence requires an intentional decoupling of power from weaponry. By disarming our schools, holding our moral leaders to account, and shifting our national priorities from state armaments to robust education, we can finally heal the Filipino psyche of “utak pulbura” and foster a society rooted in peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.
Brother Jaazeal Jakosalem, OAR, is a Filipino Laudato Si’ reader. A member of Pusyon Kinaiyahan, an environmental group in the Visayas. He is currently based in Germany as a member of PCPR-Europe, working for the Philippine campaigns related to the protection of human rights.
