COTABATO — Residents of a seaside town in Sultan Kudarat province voluntarily surrendered 29 more unlicensed rifles, grenade, and rocket launchers to Philippine Army officials on Monday.
Army Major Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, commander of the 6th Infantry Division (ID), told reporters on Wednesday that Palimbang Mayor Joenime B. Kapina, officials of the 37th Infantry Battalion (IB) and their immediate superior, Brig. Gen. Michael A. Santos of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, cooperated in securing the surrender of the firearms in support of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program of the 6th ID and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.
Mr. Nafarrete said he is thankful to the local executives, the Army and police officials in Palimbang for helping disseminate to local residents the objectives of the program, enabling them to peacefully assume custody of the weapons cache from owners, among them members of Moro fronts that now have separate peace agreements with the national government.
Officials of the 37th IB and other units of the 603rd Infantry Brigade in different towns in Sultan Kudarat had collected more than a hundred assault rifles, pistols, 40-millimeter grenade and B40 rocket launchers that owners surrendered in the past three months. — John Felix M. Unson
