The campaign against loose firearms of the Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion in Negros Oriental led to the surrender of 40 assorted guns and ammunition, which the Philippine Army said it may have been hidden for future use by the New People’s Army.
On Feb. 22, the 40 firearms, composed of homemade 12-gauge shotguns, .357 and .38 caliber revolvers, 9mm pistols and a KG9 sub machine gun, with ammunition were turned over by residents of Barangay Carol-an in Ayungon, Negros Oriental to the 94IB, its commander Lt. Col. Angelo Guzman said.
Guzman commended the joint efforts of Carol-an barangay chairman Osias Teves and members of the 94IB Community Support Program Sustainment Team, who were deployed in the village October last year, to regain the control of the barangay from the NPA.
Guzman said that Barangay Carol-an was declared as insurgency-free Jan. 12 this year by the Philippine Army.
“We laud the joint efforts of chairman Teves and the CSP team operators for a job well done, that led to the surrender of firearms,” he added.
Maj. Cenon Pancito, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, said that some of the surrendered firearms may have been issued to members of the Militia ng Bayan, a territorial force of the NPA, or being hidden in the area for use in their military offensives.
Pancito also said that the surrender of guns will prevent chaos in the barangay. – GB
