DESTRUCTION. Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (2nd from left), witnesses the destruction Friday (May 7, 2021) of 219 assorted firearms by the Naval Forces Western Mindanao headed by Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr. (2nd from right). The majority of the firearms were seized by the Navy operating units during military operations against terrorists and lawless groups in Central Mindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. (Photo courtesy of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Public Affairs Office)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) destroyed Friday 219 assorted firearms, the majority of which were seized in military operations in Central Mindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., NFWM commander, said the assorted firearms were accumulated by Naval operating units in their various campaigns against terrorism and other lawless groups.
Adaci said the destruction of the firearms, held at the Tangan Gymnasium of Naval Station Romulo Espaldon here, forms part of the 123rd Philippine Navy Anniversary on May 20.
In accordance with prescribed regulations, the firearms were cut into parts using a metal saw and were subsequently disposed of to prevent reuse or recycle.
The destruction of the firearms was witnessed by Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), and other top officials of Westmincom, NFWM, and 4th and 2nd Marine Brigades.
“We are putting beyond use these guns and other weapons of war that we have confiscated through the years of our operations here in southern Philippines with the fervent hope that with no or lesser firearms on the loose will mean a safer environment for all of us. The campaign against illegal firearms, weapons, and ammunition addresses the decades-long armed struggles in strife-torn areas in this part of our country as it seeks to deprive private armed and terrorist groups of the tools of war,” Vinluan said.
In a recorded message, Vice Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command, underscored the importance of maintaining "a safe, secure and well-maintained defense arsenal."
"The removal from circulation of these armaments is symbolic in three ways: first, it shows the operational accomplishments of our sailors and marines in Southern Philippines; second, it’s a necessary process in the Philippine Navy’s stringent weapons protocol and safety practices; and third, it’s part of the bigger modernization thrust to establish and maintain a better-equipped weapons system for the organization,” Bacordo said. (PNA)
