COTABATO, Philippines – Army troops raided a remote village on Monday, January 20, in a special territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), uncovering a cache of firearms in what officials described as the largest haul in Mindanao since the election gun ban began.
Although no suspects were apprehended, military officials suspected the weapons might belong to an armed group providing gun-for-hire services to politicians during the election season.
The operation took place as the country entered its five-month election period on January 12, ahead of the May 12 midterm polls. The period marks the implementation of stricter security measures to curb election-related violence. BARMM will also hold its first regional parliamentary elections at the same time.
Lieutenant Colonel Rod Orbon, spokesperson for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central, said 19 high-powered firearms were confiscated by military troops in Barangay Lower Panangkalan, Pahamuddin town, part of the BARMM’s Special Geographic Area (SGA), around 10 am on Monday, January 20. Before the creation of the BARMM, the area was part of Cotabato province in the Soccsksargen Region.
Orbon said the operation was carried out by troops from the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion, acting on a tip from concerned citizens about the presence of armed groups in the village.
“It took almost three hours to approach the target and avoid an encounter in a populated area. Sensing our heavily armed troops were near, more than 20 lawless individuals managed to escape, leaving the firearms behind to avoid a confrontation,” Orbon said in a phone interview.
The seized firearms included M203 grenade launchers, M16 rifles, M14 rifles, a Garand rifle, an RPG launcher, ammunition, and rifle scopes.
Orbon said authorities were looking into intelligence information that members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the extremist Dawlah Islamiya were behind the firearms cache, possibly using the election season to raise funds by offering their services as hired guns to politicians.
“We are intensifying our efforts and working closely with the Philippine National Police to monitor the movements of private armed groups. We will stop any such attempts [to use violence during the election period],” Orbon said.
The Joint Task Force Central has stepped up its campaign against the proliferation of loose firearms while urging candidates to commit to peaceful elections through scheduled covenant signings.
Lieutenant Colonel Edgardo Batinay, commander of the 34th IB, said the military was helping the Commission on Elections (Comelec) prevent election-related violence by enforcing the gun ban.
He said the rules strictly prohibit the display and possession of firearms by anyone not authorized by the Comelec during the election period.
“These acts are a clear violation of the gun ban under Comelec Resolution No. 11067,” he said. – Rappler.com