Guns have played a major role in the development of one of the most volatile nations in the world. The very weapon introduced to subjugate 'the locals', during colonial times, has become the tool used to commit some of the most horrendous crimes, in what is today a democratic nation.

The Philippines has more than twice the number of gun deaths per capita compared to the United States. From a gun-toting priest to teen gangsters to a president who boasts about committing murder, the Philippines is awash with stories that beggar belief.

The almost unregulated arms trade in the country has led to mass killings, most prolific in the southern region of Mindanao. Gun violence has made the Philippines one of the most dangerous countries in the world for rights activists and even journalists.

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