A town mayor and other government officials in Sulu surrendered their firearms to the military on Friday.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said the mayor of Pata Anton Burahan, his barangay captains and other government officials turned in their firearms around 1 pm.

“The genuine gesture of Mayor Burahan and his constituents in giving up voluntarily their war materiel, he can be a good example to all other government officials and the Tausogs as a whole who are bearing arms illegally,” he said.

Sobejana said the surrendered firearms include three 81MM mortar tubes, one 90 RR (recoilless rifle, crew-served weapon), one cal .50 barrel, four M16 rifles, three M14 rifles, five Garand rifles, one M79 grenade launcher, 149 rounds 5.56mm, 176 rounds cal 30, 107 rounds 7.62mm ammo, and one round 40mm ammo and others.

Sobejana said surrender of firearms was due to the campaign of JTF Sulu against illegally possessed firearms in the province.

“It is really our goal to make Sulu a gun-free province,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS