COTABATO CITY – Local officials in Datu Anggal Midtimbang town in the province of Maguindanao del Sur collected eight high-powered firearms from their constituents in seven barangays of the town and surrendered them to the Philippine Army on Thursday May 25.
Town Mayor Maryjoy Estephanie U. Midtimbang on Thursday afternoon presented the guns to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion, headed by Lt. Col. Tristram A. Tolentino, and Brig. Gen. Oriel Pangcog, 601st Infantry Brigade commander, in a ceremony held at the municipal gymnasium.
The firearms included an M16 rifle, two M1 Carbine rifles, two 12-gauge shotguns, a Garand rifle, an improvised M14 rifle and a homemade Uzi machine pistol.
Maguindanao del Sur Vice Governor Datu Nathaniel Midtimbang, praised the local leaders for supporting the “Balik Baril” program of the government.
Pangcog said the military would continue the task of reducing the ‘tools of violence’ in the hands of unauthorized persons as part preservation of peace and order in the communities.
