10 gunmen surrender to BARMM police

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Ten gunmen identified with a slain mayor included on President Rodrigo Duterte's list of alleged narco-politicians surrendered to the police Thursday.

The group, led by Andih Anso, turned over assorted firearms, including a .50 caliber rifle to Police Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, during a simple surrender rite in a police camp in the city.

Anso also turned in three live rifle-propelled grenades and two 40 millimeter grenade projectiles.

Anso said they decided to yield through the intercession of two officials of the CIDG-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Police Maj. Esmael Madin and Police Col. Tom Tuzon, and Police Lt. Col. Cyrus Belarmino, CIDG’s provincial officer for Zamboanga del Sur.

Ferro said credit for the surrender of Anso and his companions also has to go to the local government unit of Parang and its municipal police force.

Anso and his nine followers all hail from Parang, a coastal town in the first district of Maguindanao.

"They do not have criminal cases so there is no problem helping them get back to mainstream society to start life all over again," Ferro said.

Ferro said Anso and his men were followers of a former mayor who was killed in an anti-narcotics operation in Cotabato City about three years ago.