13 N. Cotabato village chiefs yield 27 loose firearms

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 6, 2023): 13 N. Cotabato village chiefs yield 27 loose firearms (By Edwin Fernandez)

LOOSE FIREARMS. Lt. Col. Rey Rico, the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion commander (at the podium), presents the firearms surrendered by village officials to military and local officials Tuesday (Sept. 5, 2023) in Midsayap, North Cotabato. The guns were turned in by 13 village officials from Midsayap and its neighboring town of Aleosan who wanted to help the government's campaign for a peaceful and orderly Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October. (Photo courtesy of 6ID)

COTABATO CITY – Thirteen village officials from two towns in North Cotabato surrendered Tuesday afternoon 27 assorted firearms in support of the government’s “Balik-Baril” program.

In a report Wednesday, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said Brig. Gen. Donald Gumiran, the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade chief, received the firearms during ceremonies at the headquarters of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

The 13 village chiefs are from communities in Midsayap and Aleosan towns in North Cotabato now under the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (SGA-BARMM).

They turned in their firearms, with some owned by civilians, to help the government in its campaign for peaceful and orderly Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections next month.

The firearms included three sniper rifles, an M14 rifle, three Garand rifles, eight .45-caliber pistols, a .30-caliber Barrett rifle, seven .38-caliber revolvers, a 9mm Ingram machine pistol, two 12-gauge shotguns, and an M16 rifle.

Gumiran said the village officials also signed a pledge of commitment to help authorities in peaceful and orderly elections.

Since January, at least 513 assorted firearms have been recovered, surrendered, and captured by the military in the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) area of responsibility (AOR) in Central Mindanao.

The 6ID’s AOR includes the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and parts of Sarangani, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Sur.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209314