Lanao del Sur residents surrender 23 combat weapons to Army

COTABATO CITY — Residents of four towns in Lanao del Sur on Saturday surrendered 23 combat rifles and other firearms in support of a disarmament program of the military and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

The weapons cache that residents of Lanao del Sur’s Lumba Bayabao, Taraka, Tamparan and Mulondo towns turned over to the 5^th Infantry Battalion (IB) is comprised of a B40 anti-tank rocket, four M-79 grenade launchers, four long-range bolt-action sniper rifles, a 5.56 M4A1 rifle, a 5.56 R4A3 rifle, a .30 caliber Browning Automatic Rifle, which is more known as the vintage BAR, two .30 caliber M1 Carbine rifles, two 9 millimeter KG 9 machine pistols, a 9 millimeter Ingram machine pistol and six 12 gauge shotguns.

Army Lt. Gen. Donald M. Gumiran, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, told reporters on Monday that the combat weapons were surrendered by owners to the 5^th IB in compliance with the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program, or SALW Management Program.

“We are very grateful to all who helped us workout the surrender of those firearms by the residents of the four municipalities,” Mr. Gumiran said. — John Felix M. Unson