ZAMBOANGA CITY — Village officials of Godod town, Zamboanga del Norte, have surrendered 25 loose firearms to government authorities, a top military official said Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the Army’s First Infantry Division commander, said Godod municipal Mayor Abel Matildo led the turnover of the loose firearms in a ceremony held on Tuesday at the town’s gymnasium.
Murillo said the firearms were received by Col. Bagnus Gaerlan, commander of the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade. The unlicensed guns consisted of an M-14 rifle; a caliber .30 M1 Garand rifle; three M-16 Armalite rifles; two M-79 Grenade Launchers; a Carbine rifle; 10 homemade shotguns; a caliber .45 pistol; and six caliber .38 revolvers.
The surrender of the loose firearms was made possible through the joint efforts of the military, police, municipal and barangay officials of Godod and other stakeholders, the Army offcial said.
“The mass surrender and turn-over of loose firearms will minimize violent incidents and atrocities in our area of responsibility. Peaceful municipality will also attract investors, which means more job and employment will be created that would lead into a progressive locality,” he said. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
