Zamboanga City: The commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) expressed confidence that the upcoming elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will proceed peacefully and orderly. 'Our comprehensive security contingencies are firmly in place, and as of now, we foresee no significant obstacles to the smooth conduct of the national and local elections next month,' Lt. General Antonio Nafarrete, Westmincom chief, said in a statement released Monday.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a visit over the weekend to Camp Siongco, headquarters of the Army's Sixth Infantry Division (6ID), Nafarrete told reporters that the areas under 6ID jurisdiction in Central Mindanao are adequately secured by forces from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, and Philippine Marines. During the same camp visit, he witnessed the presentation of 40 assorted firearms that were surrendered to the military as part of an ongoing disarmament program in Maguindanao del Sur province.
He directed 6ID military unit commanders and the Joint Task Force Central to maintain their relentless campaign against loose firearms, which could potentially be used to harass voters or disrupt the May 12 midterm elections. The assorted firearms and explosives were surrendered by civilians, with the assistance of local officials, at the urging of the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade (601Bde).
Maj. Gen. Donald Gumiran, 6ID commander, presented the surrendered items to Nafarrete, including M14 rifles, M16 rifles, Garand rifles, Ultimax rifles, two Bushmaster rifles, Carbine M4 rifles, two improvised M79 grenade launchers, an Uzi submachine gun, 60mm mortar rounds, and 12-gauge shotguns. Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the 601Bde, said the loose firearms came from unlicensed gun holders in the towns of Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Mamasapano, Sultan sa Barongis, Datu Abdullah Sangki, and Ampatuan.
'These firearms once served as instruments of conflict. Now, they stand as poignant symbols of a challenging past,' Nafarrete stated. His Westmincom area of responsibility encompasses the regions of Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, a portion of Northern Mindanao, and the BARMM. Since November 2024, military operations and surrender initiatives within the 6ID area of responsibility have resulted in the surrender and recovery of over 1,500 assorted firearms.
