A RESIDENT Bas Lugus village, Lugus, Sulu, voluntarily surrendered an M14 rifle, a magazine and three rounds of 7.62-millimeter ammunition on Friday, October 2, 2026, as the newly installed commander of the 104th Infantry Battalion (104IB) stepped up efforts to sustain the 1102nd Infantry Brigade’s peace campaign.
Lieutenant Colonel Joelito Guanzon, commander of the 104IB, said troops from the battalion headquarters and Bravo Company, led by 1st Lieutenant Jaythron Dumaga, facilitated the surrender of the firearm.
The resident, accompanied by Lugus Village Chairperson Nursalima Asaali, voluntarily turned over the firearm and ammunition to the battalion, according to Guanzon.
The surrender of the firearm forms part of the brigade’s Rido-Free, Gun-Free and Peace-Centered Community (RFGFPCC) Campaign, which seeks to reduce loose firearms, prevent clan conflicts or rido, and strengthen community participation in maintaining peace.
Guanzon said the surrender of firearm reflected the continuing cooperation of village officials and residents in removing loose firearms and protecting peace gains in their communities.
The campaign is anchored on the LGU-led, Security Sector-Supported and Community-Based (LSC) Framework, which puts local governments and communities at the center of efforts to resolve rido, reduce loose firearms and strengthen local ownership of peace initiatives.
Brigadier General Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade, welcomed Guanzon’s commitment to continue the campaign under his leadership of the 104IB.
“The strength of the RFGFPCC Campaign lies in the ownership of our LGUs and communities. Leadership may change, but our commitment to sustain the peace must remain,” Delos Santos said in a statement.
He added that continued voluntary surrender of loose firearms showed growing cooperation among communities, local governments and security forces under the LSC Framework.
He said they would continue working with subordinate units, local governments and other partners to sustain community-based peace initiatives and preserve Sulu’s peace and security gains. (SunStar Zamboanga)