COTABATO CITY (August 22, 2025) —- Residents of far-flung towns in Cotabato, where state security forces and Moro secessionist rebels figured in deadly clashes in past decades, surrendered 22 more firearms and large home-made bombs to an Army unit on Thursday, August 21.

The cache, consisting of M16 and M14 assault rifles, long-range bolt-action sniper rifles, a 60 millimeter mortar, pistols, and a dozen improvised explosive devices rigged with blasting mechanisms that can be detonated from a distance using mobile phones, are now in the custody of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion.

The combat weapons and IEDs were turned over by local executives in three newly-created Bangsamoro municipalities in Cotabato province, Pahamuddin, Nabalawag and Kadayangan to the Army’s 34th IB during a simple rite at Barangay Salunayan in Midsayap, Cotabato, attended by representatives from the regional police offices in the Bangsamoro region and in Region 12.

Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Friday, August 22, that the firearms, mortar and IEDs were voluntarily surrendered by villagers in the three Bangsamoro towns through the intercession of their mayors and officials of the 34th IB, led by Lt. Col. Edgardo Batinay, and their immediate superior, Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, commander of the 602nd Infantry Brigade.

The mayors in the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area in Cotabato, Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, Bunayog and Gumiran are together implementing in the province the Small Arms and Light Weapons Program of the 6th ID and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

The SALW Program, covering all of the six provinces and four cities in Central Mindanao that are covered by units of the 6th ID, complements the normalization agenda of Malacañang’s peace overtures with the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Both fronts, which have separate peace agreements with the national government, have enclaves in Central Mindanao that are now recognized as “peace zones” by the police and the military.

Gumiran said 6th ID is grateful to Mendoza, who is chairperson of the Regional Development Council 12, and her constituent-mayors in Cotabato for actively supporting the implementation of the SALW Program in barangays under their jurisdiction.

Officials of units under the 602nd Infantry Brigade, Mendoza and all the mayors under her administration had worked out the surrender by their constituents of 811 firearms, including assault rifles, M60, .30 and .50 caliber machineguns, 40 millimeter grenade and B40 anti-tank rocket launchers since the SALW Program was launched in Central Mindanao in 2024.