Moro, Teduray villagers surrender 78 combat weapons to Army

February 17, 2026 | 5:46pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Residents of three tows in Maguindanao del Sur surrendered 78 more firearms to Army units in the province on Monday, February 16, in compliance with a disarmament program of the military’s Western Mindanao Command and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

The weapons cache turned in by residents of South Upi, Talayan and Talitay towns in Maguindanao del Sur, is comprised of M16, M14, M1 Garand and Carbine rifles, gauge 12 shotguns, long-range bolt-action rifles, 40 millimeter grenade and B40 rocket launchers, a 60 millimeter mortar, an M203 rifle fitted with a grenade launcher, .38 caliber revolvers and .45 caliber pistols and B40 anti-tank rockets.

Local officials in the three towns told reporters on Tuesday that the combat weapons were surrendered by their constituents in support of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program of the WestMinCom and OPAPRU, launched in July 2024 and covering the provinces and cities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and in Regions 9 and 12.

WestMinCom's chief, Army Lt. Gen. Donald Gumiran, said on Tuesday that 43 assault rifles, grenade launchers, revolvers and pistols were turned over by residents of South Upi to Lt. Col. Aeron Gumabao of the 57th Infantry Battalion and Brig. Michael Santos, commander of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, during a surrender rite in the municipality on Monday.

Major Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division covering Maguindanao del Sur,  said residents of the adjoining Talayan and Talitay towns also surrendered, in separate events on Monday, a total 35 assorted combat rifles, grenade and rocket launchers and a 60 millimeter mortar to officials of the 1^st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Col William Sabado, and Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu of the 601st Infantry Brigade.

Gumiran said Cagara, Santos, Catu and the mayors of South Upi, Talayan and Talitay cooperated in securing the surrender of the 78 combat weapons via backchannel dialogues.

Units of the 6th ID had collected more that 3,000 assault rifles, M60, .30 and .50 caliber machine guns, 60 and 81 millimeter mortars, grenade and rocket launchers and 9 millimeter machine pistols Central Mindanao residents voluntarily surrendered since the start of the SALW Management Program's implementation in the region in July 2024.

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