46 firearms of slain SAF men still missing

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 46 assorted firearms carried by 44 Special Action Force commandos who died in the Mamasapano, Maguindanao carnage are still missing.

On Wednesday, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) turned over 14 M4 assault rifles and two light machine guns belonging to the fallen SAF men to government officials.

However, according to a report made by acting SAF commander Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño, 62 assorted firearms and 225 pieces of special equipment and communications gadgets were lost in Mamasapano.

The undated report is titled, “Inventory of PNP equipment lost during Operation Exodus,” the operational plan carried out by SAF troopers to take down Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino aide, Abdul Basit Usman. It was submitted to the director for logistics of the Philippine National Police.

“Please be informed that the following equipment and supplies were used by SAF troops and are believed to be carted away by members of MILF during the recent encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao,” Taliño said.

His inventory also included grenade launchers, a recoilless rifle, more than 38,000 rounds of ammunition for various calibers of firearms and 18 kits of medical supplies.

Among the firearms lost were 30 pieces of Ferfrans caliber 5.56mm SOAR (special operations assault rifle), a variant of the M4 carbine with improvements and modifications used by special forces of the US military; two Rock River caliber 5.56mm rifles, which are similar to M4s; and four Savage caliber 7.62mm sniper rifles.

Also lost were 10 Ferfrans M203 grenade launchers, two M60 caliber 7.62mm light machine guns, two Negev caliber 5.56mm light machine gun, two Beretta 9mm, one CZ 75 9mm and eight Glock 17 9mm pistols, and one 90mm recoilless rifle.

The missing “special equipment” were six pieces of sound suppressor, one forward looking infrared, seven night vision goggles, four night fighting devices, four generation 3 night vision monoculars, two NVG head mounts, one laser bore sight, four carbine infrared lasers, four laser device infrared pointers, 12 PEQ2 scopes, four Leupold scopes, seven GPS map 60s, five GPS Foretrex devices, four binoculars, 37 tactical helmets, four tactical vests, 79 ceramic plates (for bulletproof vests), 15 gas masks with canisters and four protective clear glasses.

Twenty-one communications gadgets, mostly Harris and Motorola radios, are likewise missing, along with two combat casualty response kits and 16 individual patrol officers’ kits.

Also lost or discharged by the 44 dead SAF troopers were 28,400 rounds of ammunition for caliber 5.56mm rifles and machine guns, 4,100 rounds for caliber 7.62mm weapons, 5,700 for caliber 9mm, eight rounds for the recoilless rifle, 150 rounds for grenade launchers, 20 hand grenades and 638 pieces of assorted ammunition magazines.

Ferfrans, Negev, Rock River, and Savage are apparently brands or names of arms manufacturers. A Google search showed that Ferfrans is an American firearms manufacturer based in Montclair, California.

Aside from their weapons, gadgets and other supplies, taken from the dead SAF commandos were personal belongings, including mobile phones, watches and wallets.

An assault team of 38 members killed Marwan but lost nine men. They clashed with a group belonging to Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), an MILF breakaway group.

Another team of 36 troopers was to serve as blocking force, but was nearly wiped out by a composite group of Moro fighters, mostly belonging to the MILF. The lone survivor was Police Officer 2 Christopher Lalan.

Show of goodwill

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles and government peace panel chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said yesterday the return of SAF weapons by the MILF last Wednesday was an indication of goodwill on the part of the rebel group.

“We receive with appreciation a gesture of goodwill we have sought from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” Deles said. The turnover was held in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

“We accept this clear proof of the trust and goodwill that has already been built in the Bangsamoro peace process. We accept this clear signal of the willingness and determination of the MILF to sustain our precious gains,” Deles said.

She admitted the Mamasapano incident has been the most difficult challenge to the peace process.

“It has been a dark time for our country with the loss of so many in a single day – government enforcers, rebel group members and civilians – all Filipinos and brothers and sisters to us all. Our grief has been palpable as we mourned them as a nation,” Deles said.

“But our sorrow grew a thousand fold as events unfolded and we found a storm bearing visions of horror of many, many more national mourning held as blood spills yet again in our lands,” Deles added.

“That horror can remain a nightmare in our dreams, never to be seen in reality if we as a nation stand to claim once more the peace, the just and lasting peace that was already within our grasp,” she said.

But Deles said the peace process has only been disrupted and not beaten back.

She said Mamasapano must be turned from a battleground to a haven of peace.

“Let not the death of the SAF 44 and the other 23 more be in vain. Let their memory stand for peace and not war. Let us stand for peace and reclaim the birthright of countless generations of Filipinos yet unborn, of a country united in a just and lasting peace,” Deles said.

Ferrer also commended the MILF for returning the firearms taken from the slain SAF men.

“Despite the tragedy in Mamasapano, despite the breach of our ceasefire, we are still here. Both the government and the MILF continue to believe in the peace process,” Ferrer said.

She cited the key role played by the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and the International Monitoring Team.

“We thank the joint CCCH who have again showed us how robust our ceasefire mechanisms are. We also thank our brave and committed partners in the IMT for the important role they have played in installing the ceasefire on that fateful Sunday... to the rescue of the victims and now as the third party witness in the verification of the retrieved weapons that shall be returned to the PNP SAF,” Ferrer said. – With  Jose Rodel Clapano, Marvin Sy