CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao del Norte – Officials in South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur, have voluntarily surrendered 30 assorted high-powered firearms in support of the government’s disarmament program.
Brig. Gen. Michael Santos, commander of the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade, received the firearms on Monday from South Upi Mayor Reynalbert Insular during a program that also marked the reactivation of the Municipal Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (MTFELCAC).
South Upi is the first town in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to reactivate MTFELCAC, a multi-sectoral task force aimed at ending local armed conflicts, such as “rido” (family feud) and terrorism.
In a statement Tuesday, Santos commended the village officials for supporting efforts to rid the town of unlicensed firearms that could be used in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
“Let us abandon the culture of violence and embrace peace for the lasting progress of South Upi,” Santos said.
Last week, local officials in Cotabato City also turned over loose firearms to the Army-led Joint Task Force Central. The surrendered weapons included a 60mm mortar tube, two M14 rifles, and ammunition.
Since January, around 200 high-powered firearms have been surrendered to the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, which covers Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, and parts of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, and Sarangani. (PNA)