KIDAPAWAN CITY–The family of a former village chair in North Cotabato town of Magpet who died due to illness last year has voluntarily turned over 14 assorted firearms to the military.
Julie Denampo Pajati, sister of the late Reinando Denampo, former village chair of Tagbac, Magpet, decided to hand over the firearms Monday for fear that these may land in the hands of communist rebels.
Pajati said the family has received reports that the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) rebels are planning to seize the guns.
She said that before her brother died from an illness last year, the latter had already asked his wife and siblings to surrender the guns to the authorities before criminal elements can take advantage of them.
The surrendered firearms include one Ultimax rifle, one M14 rifle, an M16 rifle, a Garand rifle, a Carbine rifle, an M-79 grenade launcher with 34 live projectiles, four shotguns, two .45-caliber pistols, two .38-caliber revolvers and hundreds of ammunition for various caliber, among others.
Pajati did not say why it took them long to surrender the rifles but told reporters the guns were kept in the family ancestral house in Barangay Tagbac.
Last year, NPA guerrillas raided the house of Denampo in Kidapawan City and carted away about 10 assorted high powered guns. Denampo earned the ire of the NPAs after he worked with the military to prevent the communist rebels from entering his village and establish presence there.
Randy Llunar, spokesperson of Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade, told reporters that the military considers the guns as loose firearms.
Llunar said the late village official’s family will not be charged for keeping the guns, noting their effort to voluntarily turn them over. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
