Loose firearms from Zamboanga City barangays turned over to military

THE ZAMBOANGA City government turned over on Wednesday to the military’s Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) more than 150 unregistered and loose firearms collected from the different barangays and neighboring areas. The surrendered firearms were presented by Zamboanga Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar to Lt. Gen. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., WesMinCom commander, at the Camp General Basilio Navarro in the city. “We are just here to show our commitment and support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This turnover only showcase the success of the cooperation between the military and police,” Ms. Climaco-Salazar said. Col. Leonel Nicolas, commander of the combined police and military Task Force Zamboanga, said the recovery of the loose firearms is an offshoot of the “sustained campaign against the proliferation of the unregistered and loose firearms.” The military and police have also recently intensified their campaign on loose firearms as part of the preparations for the May Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. —