Army collects 22 more unlicensed firearms in Maguindanao del Norte

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Army officials collected 22 more unlicensed combat rifles, shotguns and grenade launchers surrendered on Thursday, December 12, by residents of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.

Major Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Saturday, December 14, that the firearms were turned in by owners through the joint intercession of Sultan Kudarat Mayor Tucao Mastura and officials of the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1st BCT) led by its commanding officer, Brig. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara.

The combat weapons were surrendered by residents of Sultan Kudarat in compliance with the 6th ID’s Small Arms and Light Weapons Program complementing the security agenda of Malacañang’s peace process with Mindanao’s Moro communities and partly meant to ensure a peaceful and orderly elections in Central Mindanao cities and provinces in 2025.

The cache, consisting of assault rifles, bolt-action .50 caliber and 7.62 millimeter sniper rifles, shotguns and grenade launchers, were turned over by Mastura to Cagara during a surrender rite in a local government function facility in Sultan Kudarat, a component town of Maguindanao del Norte in the Bangsamoro region.

The event was witnessed by Col. Joel Estaris, director of the Maguindanao del Norte Provincial Police Office, and Kurais Dali, a senior official of the Commission on Elections in the municipality.

Units of 6th ID in provinces and cities in the adjoining Bangsamoro region and Region 12 had, since 2022, collected more than 2,000 firearms, including M14 and M16 assault rifles, M60 machineguns, 60 and 81 millimeter mortars, rocket and grenade launchers that were voluntarily surrendered by owners after dialogues with Army and Marine officers and local executives.