Firearms collected in Central Mindanao presented to Marcos

CAMP SIONGCO, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte — Officials of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, April 11, more than 1,000 firearms surrendered in recent months by owners supporting a regional disarmament program that complements Malacañang’s peace efforts in Mindanao.

Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, and his immediate superior, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete of the Western Mindanao Command, jointly briefed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on how units under the division had collected the cache of firearms across the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, and Cotabato City.

Marcos, accompanied by the two Army officials and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr., inspected the surrendered firearms, which were stacked at the 6th ID’s gymnasium inside Camp Siongco.

The combat weapons include assault rifles, long-range bolt action sniper rifles, B40 anti-tank and 40 millimeter grenade launchers, M60 and .30 caliber machine guns, 60 and 81 millimeter mortars and pistols.

Some of the more than 1,000 combat weapons presented to the President were seized during recent anti-terror operations conducted by battalions under the 6th Infantry Division’s three component brigades.

The majority, however, were voluntarily surrendered over the past seven months by owners in compliance with the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program, jointly implemented by the 6th ID and the Office of Galvez in Central Mindanao.

Marcos was at the Army camp on Friday to sign a memorandum authorizing the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) to issue safe conduct passes to former members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who are facing criminal charges and are currently applying for amnesty.

Following the symbolic signing ceremony at the 6th Infantry Division’s Officers’ Club, NAC officials told reporters that the safe conduct passes would allow former NPA, MNLF and MILF members to move freely without fear of arrest while their amnesty applications are being processed.