Tawi-Tawi barangay officials yield loose firearms

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 3, 2021): Tawi-Tawi barangay officials yield loose firearms (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

LOOSE FIREARMS. The seven loose firearms surrendered by officials of Barangay Mandulan in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 12 on Monday (March 1, 2021). MBLT-12 commander, Lt. Col. Henry Espinosa, said the barangay officials yielded their unlicensed firearms for fear of being penalized for their unlawful acquisition and possession of firearms. (Photo courtesy of Westmincom Public Information Office)

The campaign of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) against the proliferation of loose firearms continues to make headway as seven more unlicensed guns were surrendered in Tawi-Tawi, military officials announced Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Westmincom chief, said the seven loose firearms were voluntarily surrendered by officials of Barangay Mandulan, Bongao to the Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) 12 on Monday.

Vinluan lauded the troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Tawi-Tawi for their resolve that led to numerous accomplishments in the campaign against the proliferation of loose firearms in the province.

“The continued conduct of security forums and dialogues by our marine troops to the residents of Tawi-Tawi bore substantial gains in our efforts to address one of the root causes of lawlessness here in the region,” he said.

Lt. Col. Henry Espinosa, MBLT-12 commander, said the firearms surrendered to them include two M1 Garand rifles, one .357 caliber magnum revolver, one .45 caliber pistol with one magazine of live ammunition, one .38 caliber revolver, one Carbine rifle with a magazine, and one M-79 grenade launcher.

The barangay officials personally surrendered their unlicensed firearms for fear of being penalized for their unlawful acquisition and possession of firearms, Espinosa said.

The barangay officials informed him that being a government official way back when the security situation in Tawi-Tawi was unstable, having a firearm was a must because they had to protect themselves.

Since January, loose firearms from Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Peninsula, the Lanao provinces, and central Mindanao have been turned over to the different units.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1132369