COTABATO CITY — A total of 27,532 unlicensed firearms pose a growing threat in the lead-up to the upcoming elections across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), according to Police Colonel Jibin Bongcayao, chief of the Regional Operations Division of the Police Regional Office-BAR.
Bongcayao shared this information during a multi-sectoral dialogue attended by representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Civil Society Organizations, media, political parties, and other stakeholders.
The number of loose firearms has increased slightly this year, with over 27,000 firearms now recorded in Barmm, compared to around 21,000 last year. This data is based on police records from the third quarter of 2024.
Authorities continue to investigate the origins of some loose firearms in the region.
Police data indicates the highest number of unlicensed firearms is in Lanao del Sur (5,037), followed by Cotabato City (4,335), Maguindanao del Sur (4,323), Maguindanao del Norte (4,203), Basilan (2,755), and Tawi-Tawi (1,207).
Among these firearms, over 1,000 are linked to lawless groups, nearly 8,000 to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), over 1,000 to warring clans or families, and more than 19,000 are due to expired licenses.
Bongcayao emphasized that the data comes from intelligence fusion and validation by various law enforcement agencies in the region. EEF
