Basilan Residents Surrender 61 Firearms in Continued Disarmament Push

COTABATO CITY – Residents of Basilan have turned over 61 more combat weapons to authorities in support of a local disarmament campaign aligned with the national government’s peace efforts in Mindanao.

The firearms were surrendered by locals from the cities of Isabela and Lamitan, as well as eight towns—Tuburan, Akbar, Sumisip, Maluso, Lantawan, Tabuan-Lasa, and Hadji Muhtamad—on April 9.

Brigadier General Alvin Luzon of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade and Basilan Governor Hadjiman Salliman received the firearms.

Small Arms and Light Weapons

Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, confirmed the turnover on Saturday, April 12, noting that the voluntary surrenders were part of the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Management Program.

The initiative, launched last year, is a joint effort between the military, provincial government, peace advocacy groups, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), led by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

Since the program began, over 300 unlicensed firearms have been collected through backchannel dialogues facilitated by local officials, the military, and the Basilan Provincial Peace and Order Council, chaired by Salliman.

Normalization Agenda: Disarmament Push

The SALW program supports the national government’s normalization agenda under the Bangsamoro peace process. A similar initiative is being carried out in Central Mindanao by the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) and OPAPRU, covering six provinces and five cities with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) communities.

Both groups, which have separate peace agreements with the government, are now assisting in the program’s implementation in Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Cotabato City.

The continued surrender of firearms reflects growing local support for peace-building efforts in the region.

About The Author

John Unson

John Unson is a veteran Filipino journalist who serves as a staff writer for the regions “Central Mindanao and BARMM” at The Philippine Star. He covers news and events in Mindanao — especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the broader Central Mindanao area. His reporting spans a wide range of topics including security incidents, terrorist-related developments, drug enforcement, smuggling operations, social issues, and regional politics.

See author's posts