ZAMBOANGA CITY – Residents of Lala, Lanao del Norte turned over to military authorities 54 assorted loose firearms and ammunition, a military official announced Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander, said this came after the officials of Lala town have managed to convince their constituents to surrender their unlicensed guns.
Murillo said the ceremonial turn-over and documentation of the loose firearms, which was held on Monday, was led by Mayor Allan Lim of Lala municipality.
Col. Pacianito Castillo, 2nd Mechanized Brigade deputy commander, and other officials of Lala municipality witnessed the ceremony held at the town’s evacuation center.
The firearms that were surrendered included M-14 rifle; three M-16 Armalite rifles; seven caliber .22 revolvers; 10 caliber .38 revolvers; 25 shotguns; three caliber .45 pistols; four home-made 12-gauge pistols; and, one caliber .22 air gun.
Murillo, who is the concurrent Joint Task Force ZamPeLan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao) commander, said he is grateful for the initiative and collaboration of the municipal officials and the 5th Mechanized Battalion under Lt. Col. Ronel Manalo for their commitment to sustain the campaign of the government against loose firearms. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
