COTABATO CITY— Another group in Maguindanao del Sur province surrendered to the Army’s 6th Infantry Division 26 more assorted firearms in support of its disarmament campaign complementing the Mindanao peace process.
Mayor Reynalbert Insular of the hinterland South Upi town in Maguindanao del Sur turned over the unlicensed firearms that he and officials of the 57th Infantry Battalion had collected from villagers to Brig. Gen. Michael Santos, commander of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, during a simple rite in their municipal gymnasium in Barangay Romongaob on Thursday, October 21.
The cache, comprised of M16 rifle fitted with a grenade launcher, two .30 caliber M1 Garand rifles, three M1 Carbine rifles, 10 gauge 12 shotguns, three 7.62 bolt-action sniper rifles, three M79 grenade launchers, a 9 millimeter Uzi machine pistol, a .45 caliber pistol and a .22 and .38 caliber revolvers, were turned in by South Upi residents in support of the 6th ID’s Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Management Program.
Local government units and the police are supporting the implementation of the SALW Program by 6th ID’s different units in the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani and the cities of Cotabato, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.
Major Gen Antonio Nafarrete, commander of 6th ID, told reporters on Tuesday that Insular, Santos and Lt. Col. Aeron Gumabao, commanding officer of the 57th IB, cooperated in collecting the 26 firearms via backchannel dialogues with owners.
“To them we are thankful. We are also grateful to the owners of the firearms for complying with our disarmament campaign," Nafarrete said.
Since 2021, units of 6th ID in Central Mindanao had collected more than 2,000 assault rifles, M60 machineguns, 40-millimeter grenade launchers and B40 rocket launchers turned over by owners, among them former members of local terrorist groups whom officials of the division had reintegrated into the local communities after having pledge allegiance to the government.