By JONG D.
CADION
PAGADIAN CITY
(March 21, 2018) - Residents and officials of Western Mindanao is in full
throttle to support President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s campaign to eliminate and
recover all loose and undocumented firearms.
Western Mindanao
Command (WESMINCOM) information officer Capt. Jo-Ann D. Petinglay said that recently
81 high-powered and low-powered firearms were voluntarily handed-over by
residents and officials of three municipalities of Lanao del Sur to Tabak
Division Chief Brigadier General Roseller Murillo, commander, Joint Task Force
Zampelan.
Capt.
Petinglay said 54 firearms were voluntary turned-over by residents of Lumba
Bayabao and Masiu all of Lanao del Sur in a simple ceremony in the town halls of both
municipalities last March 24, 2018.
“This
endeavor was made possible through the continuous collaboration of our infantry
units and the local chief executives of Lumba Bayabao and Masiu municipalities
relative to the national campaign against loose FAs,” said Major General
Murillo.
Capt.
Petinglay said also attending the activities were officials of the municipality
and the commander of 49th Infantry Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Allan
Villanueva.
The FAs
composed of cal 5.56 rifles; 7.62 rifles; cal .30 M1 and M2 carbine rifles;
shot guns; cal .45 pistols; cal .38 pistols; cal .357 pistols; and cal .22
pistols, Capt. Petinglay added.
He also said
that just yesterday (March 26) at 6 in the morning, another 27 loose firearms
were also handed over by the people of Maguing, Lanao del Sur to commander of
63rd Infantry Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Rizaldo Laurena.
The FAs
include one cal .30 Machine Gun; three cal .30 M1 carbine rifles; 11 M16 5.56
rifles; one M4 5.56 rifle; two M14 rifles (one with scope); five shot guns; and
five 9mm Ingram pistol/uzi, the military official said.
In a
statement, MGen Murillo said that the firearms were immediately transported to
the military camps for documentation and checking.
“These
(firearms) will eventually be subject for demilitarization similar on what we
did to the recovered firearms in Marawi in order to prevent the use deadly
weapons in committing crimes and lawless violence,”
he disclosed.
As of March
26, the firearms that were surrendered to JTF Zampelan already reached 162.
Based on the previous reports, the first batch of turn overed firearms
accounted for 43 from Piagapo Municipality last March 18 and 11 from Lumbatan
Municipality last March 18.
For the
entire Western Mindanao Area of Operations, a total of 1,304 firearms were
already handed over to the security forces with the following breakdown: 179
from Joint Task Force Central; 185 from Joint Task Force Zampelan; 222 from
Joint Task Force Zamboanga; and 718 from Joint Task Force Sulu.
“In line with
the pronouncement of our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the campaign against
loose firearms was launched by the entire Western Mindanao Command through our
Joint Task Forces to implement the Security, Governance and Development
Strategies of Martial Law in Mindanao,” said WesMinCom commander Lieutenant
General Carlito G Galvez, Jr.
“We would
like to urge other officials and residents to do the same in order to free
communities from these menacing tools of violence.”
“If those who
have already handed-over their firearms can do their share and have shown of
their commitment to a peaceful community, there will be no reason for others to
do the same,” added LtGen Galvez.(With WesMinCom PR)
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