Six violent extremists (FVEs) yielded, and 24 high-powered firearms were formally surrendered to the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion in Maguindanao del Sur on Wednesday, as authorities intensified the campaign against loose firearms in the wake of the campaign period for the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) slated on September 14.
The six FVEs, who were former members of the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), turned over six high-powered firearms to battalion commander Lt. Col. William Sabado as a symbol of their abandonment of the armed struggle and return to peaceful civilian life.
In addition, 18 more loose firearms were voluntarily surrendered by residents of the municipalities of Talayan, Guindulungan, and Datu Anggal Midtimbang. This brought to 24 the total number of surrendered firearms.
Of the total firearms surrendered, seven came from Talayan, seven from Guindulungan, four from Datu Anggal Midtimbang, and the remaining six from the former militants.
Sabado presented the surrenderees and the firearms to Brig. Gen. Edgar L. Catu, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, during ceremonies held at the battalion headquarters in Talayan town.
The activity forms part of the intensified campaign of the 601st Infantry Brigade, local government units, and other government agencies to achieve the declaration of ‘Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS)’ in the municipalities of Guindulungan, Talayan, and Datu Anggal Midtimbang.
To assist the surrenderees in rebuilding their lives, several government agencies extended various forms of assistance.
Catu said the surrender of the violent extremists and their firearms demonstrates that more people are now choosing peace, unity, and development over violence.
‘Every firearm voluntarily surrendered, and every individual who returns to the fold of the law represents another important step toward strengthening security, stability, and unity in the communities of Maguindanao del Sur,’ Catu said