Army collects 18 high-powered guns in Maguindanao del Sur

COTABATO CITY — Residents of Datu Paglas, Maguindanao del Sur on Thursday surrendered to an Army unit 18 high-powered firearms in support of the government’s disarmament campaign in the province.

Major. Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said on Friday that the firearms were turned in by owners through the intercession of Datu Paglas Mayor Abubakar Paglas, his constituent-barangay leaders and officials of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion.

The cache, consisting of a .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun, two .50 caliber bolt-action Barrett rifles, a 7.62 millimeter Belgian FN assault rifle, two vintage 7.92 millimeter Mauser rifles, an M14 rifle, a 40 millimeter grenade launcher and 10 Garand rifles, was turned over by local officials to Brig. Andre Santos, commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade, during a symbolic rite held at the municipal government center of Datu Paglas.

Units under 6th ID had collected in the past 24 months 1,734 military-type weapons, including 60 and 81 millimeter mortars, M79 grenade launchers and M60 machineguns,  surrendered by residents in the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, both in the Bangsamoro region, and in Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and in Sarangani, all in Region 12.

Rillera told reporters that they are thankful to the municipal government of Datu Paglas and to officials of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion for cooperating in securing the surrender of the 18 unlicensed firearms via backchannel dialogues with owners.