MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III says he wants tighter control of firearms but opposes a total gun ban in the country following recent shootings including a rampage by a gunman who killed seven people.

Aquino told reporters Wednesday that a total gun ban would make "a nice headline" but it would be a knee-jerk reaction. He called for"ways to really solve the issue."

Among the proposals being studied is a call by anti-gun groups to ban the carrying of firearms by civilians outside their homes.

The proliferation of firearms has long fueled crime and political violence as well Muslim and communist rebellions that have raged for decades in parts of the Philippines. The country has one of the highest homicide rates in Southeast Asia.