Maguindanao residents surrender unlicensed guns

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  ­– Residents of Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao surrendered 125 unlicensed firearms to the military yesterday.

The cache consists of M16 and M14 assault rifles, a .30-caliber machine gun and M203 rifles fitted with launchers for 40 millimeter grenade projectiles.

The weapons were turned over by municipal officials led by Mayor Abubakar Paglas to Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon of the 6th Infantry Division and Brig. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the Army’s 601st Brigade.

“These were voluntarily surrendered by our people to show support for the government’s disarmament program,” Paglas said during the turnover ceremony.