Eight people, five of them children, have been shot dead by a lone gunman during the early hours of 19 May 2008 in the town of Calamba in the Philippines. The children, reportedly between 4-12 years old, were sleeping inside their homes when the shooting began. A further six people were wounded, among them a 5 year old and an 8 year old.

The gunman opened fire on several houses with an M-16 assault rifle before fleeing the scene. It is believed that the weapon was stolen from a retired police officer along with eight magazines of ammunition.

The mass shooting comes just two days after gunmen shot dead 9 people during a bank robbery in the same province of Laguna.

According to the national disarmament network, PhilANSA, "These recent shootings highlight the clear need for more effective gun legislation in the Philippines." Approximately 18 people are killed by firearms each day in the country and 78% of murders are committed using small arms.

Click here to read the PhilANSA statement.

IANSA sends its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and the survivors of the shooting.