Residents of 3 Bangsamoro towns surrender 41 firearms to Army

COTABATO CITY— Residents of three newly established Bangsamoro towns turned over 41 combat weapons to the Army's 34th Infantry Battalion during a symbolic ceremony in Barangay Salunayan, Midsayap, Cotabato, on Friday, March 24.

 Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Monday, March 24, that the firearms surrendered by residents of Pahamuddin, Nabalawag and Kadayangan towns that are under the Bangsamoro region but are located in Cotabato province in Region 12, are now in the joint custody of the 34th IB and the 602nd Infantry Brigade.

Gumiran and Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, commander of the 602nd Infantry Brigade, separately told reporters that the 41 firearms were surrendered by their owners to the 34th IB in compliance with the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Management Program of the 6th ID and the Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, Carlito Galvez Jr.

The SALW Management Program, which has been implemented since July 2024 in Central Mindanao by various units of the 6th ID, supports Malacañang’s peace process with Moro communities in the region.

The 41 firearms, including M1 Garand rifles, M14 and Carbine rifles, shotguns, B40 rockets, 40mm grenade launchers, .45 caliber pistols, and .38 caliber revolvers, were surrendered by their owners to the 34th IB through the joint efforts of its officials, Brig. Gen. Bunayog, and local executives in Pahamuddin, Nabalawag and Kadayangan.

Since the implementation of the SALW Management Program in July 2024, over 600 firearms, including M60 and .30 caliber machine guns, as well as 60 and 81mm mortars, have been collected by units of the 6th ID in the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato, South Cotabato, and Sarangani, and in the cities of Cotabato, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.