Maguindanao residents surrender weapons cache to Army

COTABATO CITY — Residents of Maguindanao del Sur surrendered to the Army another weapons cache in support of an inter-agency disarmament campaign, complementing the firearms decommissioning thrusts of the Mindanao peace process.

The weapons include nine M79 grenade launchers, three B-40 rocket launchers, two 9-millimeter (mm) Uzi machine pistols, a 9-mm KG-9 machine pistol, anti-anti rockets and fragmentation grenades. The weapons were turned over by owners to officials of the 2^nd Mechanized Battalion and the 601^st Infantry Brigade during a symbolic rite in Talayan, Maguindanao del Sur on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Major Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said on Monday that the cache was voluntarily surrendered by residents of Talayan in support of the multi-sector and inter-agency Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Management Program now being implemented in areas covered by 6^th ID.

The 6^th ID, police units in the Bangsamoro region and in region 12 and local government units are cooperating in pushing the SALW Management Program forward.

Mr. Nafarrete, also concurrent commander of the anti-terror Joint Task Force Central, said residents of different barangays in Talayan agreed to surrender the weapons through the joint intercession of local executives, officials of the 2^nd Mechanized Battalion and the commander of the 601^st Infantry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Oriel L. Pangcog. — John Felix M. Unson