Military tells citizens to stay vigilant

NORTH COTABATO – The Philippine military has urged citizens in the South to stay vigilant and immediately report to authorities the presence of suspicious persons in their community.

Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, made the call following the recent surrender of three pro-is fighters in North Cotabato’s Carmen town.

He said the trio also handed over three M1 Garand rifles and dozens of pieces of ammunition during their Friday surrender in the town of Carmen.

Gonzales attributed the successful surrender of the trio to the collaborative efforts of the military and police in Central Mindanao and the unwavering support of the local government units and the communities.

“The surrendered personalities are currently undergoing custodial debriefing at the 602nd Infantry Brigade headquarters and each of them received a sack of rice given by the local government of Carmen,” he said.

Gonzales also announced the recovery of a cache of weapons in the village of Kakar in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte. “While conducting clearing operations, soldiers sighted more or less ten fully armed men near their location. Alerted by the presence of the government forces, the lawless elements immediately withdrew in an unknown direction,” he said.

“While scouring the area, operating troops recovered high-powered firearms and other war materials, including one caliber 30 machine gun, two M16A1 rifles, one 40mm M79 Grenade Launcher, and assorted magazines and ammunition,” he added.

Gonzales did not say whether the gunmen were members of the Dawlah Islamiya, but said “security forces continue to intensify decisive military operations to ensure the safety and security of the communities nearby.”

He lauded the troops for their alertness which thwarted the terror ploys of the lawless elements.

“By disarming them, we are able to weaken their capability to create havoc in the peaceful communities. I urge the civilian populace to be vigilant and immediately report to the authorities the presence of suspicious personalities in their vicinity,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)