Zambo officials yield 29 more firearms

By Jong Cadion

ZAMBOANGA CITY (February 27, 2018) - With the sustained dialogue and security operations of the military, barangay officials surrendered twenty-nine more loose firearms to the Joint Task Force Zamboanga from February 21-23, 2018, military official said.

Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) Cpt Jo-Ann D Petinglay disclosed that surrendered by said officials were 28 Caliber 30 M1 Garand rifles and a 9mm pistol that are currently in the custody of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-11 in Sangali for initial accounting, firearms check, and investigation.

“The continuing surrender of unregister firearms is an offshoot of the diplomatic mentoring launched by our troops, thereby lessening the possibility of using the instruments of violence for lawlessness and criminality,” said Colonel Leonel Nicolas, Commander of the Joint Task Force Zamboanga.

As of this press time, there are 57 M1 Garand rifles that were surrendered to the JTF Zamboanga while there are other barangays who have signified their intentions to yield their unlicensed firearms given alternative options of safeguarding their barangays.

Last February 21, barangay officials from Arena Blanco, Tigtabon, Mercedes, and Cabaluay, through Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, surrendered 157 firearms to Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., Commander of the Western Mindanao Command, as a gesture of supporting the campaign of the WestMinCom in the midst of the the implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao.

From January 1 to February 27, 2018, troops recovered a total of 285 loose firearms, 192 of which were surrendered in Zamboanga, 52 in Sulu, 30 in ZamPeLan, and 11 in Central.

“In line with the pronouncement our President, the campaign against loose firearms was launched by WMC through our Joint Task Forces to implement the Security, Governance and Development Strategies of Martial Law in Mindanao,” said LtGen Galvez, Jr.

“We are intensifying our security operations to prepare for the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections this year. This includes our heightened operations to defeat armed groups in our area of responsibility,” the WestMinCom Chief adds.