A TOTAL of 31 units of unserviceable assorted firearms were demilitarized by the Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-Davao) in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Davao Region (DILG-Davao) on April 25, 2025.
The firearms, which later were destroyed, included 11 5.56mm caliber rifles, four 7.62mm caliber rifles, two AK 47, seven Cal.30 rifles, one 12-gauge shotgun, two 40mm caliber rifles, and four Cal .45 pistols. All of which were either confiscated, surrendered, or forfeited.
PRO-Davao Regional Director, PBGen. Leon Victor Rosete said that their effort is a manifestation of broader peace initiatives through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-Clip).
“This progress has been made possible through the strong collaboration with our local government units and partner agencies, further advancing our campaign against the proliferation of firearms,’’ Rosete said.
The demilitarization program aimed at completely destroying the weapons to prevent reuse of the firearms by cutting off individual steel pieces using a circular saw, bending and deforming the hammer and trigger using a blowtorch, chopping the wooden parts, and stamping the aluminum parts.
Rosete added that the scrapped metal pieces will be used as recycled metals for economic purposes, as he assures the firearms are completely unserviceable after the demilitarization process.
Present at the program at the PRO-Davao in Camp Catitipan, Buhangin, Davao City, were officials from DILG-Davao, headed by Regional Director Abdullah V. Matalam, represented by DILG-Davao City Director Vicky P. Sarcena.
In his written speech read by Sarcena at the program, Matalam expressed his pride in the insurgency-free status of Davao Region and urged everyone to work together to maintain this.
“We are facing numerous challenges to maintain this insurgency-free status today. We know that sustaining our gains as an insurgency-free region is a lot of hard work and cooperation. Today’s demilitarization of firearms symbolizes our commitment to peace and order in the region.’’ Matalan wrote.
Last 2022, Davao Region became the third region in the country to be declared as insurgency-free by the Department of National Defense Officer-In-Charge and Senior Undersecretary Jose C. Faustino Jr., based on Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC)-11 Resolution No. 07, series of 2022.