Maguindanao Del Sur residents surrender more guns to Army

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Residents of five towns in Maguindanao del Sur turned over to the Army's 33rd Infantry Battalion 17 more firearms on Thursday, March 20, in support of a regional disarmament program of the 6th Infantry Division and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

The five M1 Garand rifles, five M14 rifles, two .30 caliber Mosin Nagant rifle, two 12 gauge shotguns, an M16A1 Bushmaster rifle and a 5.56 M4 Carbine rifle were turned over by owners to officials of the 33rd IB and their immediate superior, Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu of the 601st Infantry Brigade, during a symbolic rite on Thursday at an Army command post in Barangay Zapakan in Radjah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur.

Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of 6th ID, told reporters on Friday, March 21, that the combat weapons were voluntarily surrendered by owners through the efforts of Catu, the officials of the 33rd IB and the mayors in Maguindanao del Sur's adjoining Shariff Aguak, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Sultan sa Barongis and Rajah Buayan towns.

"They willingly did that to show support for our disarmament campaign in all of the cities and provinces that are covered by our units," Gumiran said, referring to the Small Arms and Weapons Management Program of the 6th ID and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr.

Units of the 6th ID and the Navy's 1st Marine Brigade that has personnel guarding Cotabato City and two nearby towns in Maguindanao del Norte have collected more than 500 assault rifles, bolt-action sniper rifles, M60 and .30 caliber machineguns, 60 and 81 millimeter mortars, 40 millimeter grenade and B40 anti-tank launchers that were turned over willingly by owners since the 6th ID and the office of Galvez launched the SALW Management Program in July 2024.