Maguindanao villagers surrender more loose firearms
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – The military’s disarmament program in Maguindanao has been gaining
headway as more and more local officials and civilians turned in their rifles.
Ten assorted
high powered guns were formally turned over Monday (Mar 5) to the Army’s 601st
Infantry Brigade from residents of Datu Salibo town in Maguindanao. These guns
were earlier turned over by its owners to the 2nd Mechanized
Infantry Battalion and Mayor Norodin Salasal of Datu Salibo.
Brig. Gen.
Diosdado Carreon, 601st brigade chief, said among those surrendered
by civilians were two cal. 50 sniper rifles, a US-mde Browning 12 gauge
shotgun, a modified caliber .30 sniper rifle, one US 12-shotgun, a locally made
M-79 grenade launcher, an improvised .9mm pistol Ingram and a US-made 12 gauge
shotgun with magazines and ammunitions.
Major General
Arnel dela Vega, 6ht Infantry Division commander and head of Task Force Central
Mindanao, said that three days ago, bout 15 assorted guns from Datu Unsay town
were handed over by town Mayor Reshal Ampatuan to Brig. Gen. Carreon.
The
increasing numbers of voluntary surrendered loose firearms are the result of
the intensified campaign of the AFP amid the implementation of Martial Law in
Mindanao, Carreon said.