Arms cache found in covered pits in Maguindanao

DAVAO CITY – Government soldiers and the National Police securng the Maguindanao province in Central Mindanao discovered a cache of powerful weapons arsenal in the capital town of Shariff Aguak in Maguidanao, whose one town was the scene of the gory massacres of unarmed civilians.

A statement released December 4 by the Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion based in Sarangani Province, said that the arms cache was discovered buried at the open lot near Poblacion Shariff Aguak on the 11th day after the Maguindanao massacre of not less than 57 persons.

2LT Angela Friga R Cinco, Public Affairs officer of the 73rd IB, said that initial report “states that high-powered firearms and thousands of ammunitions suspected to be among those being kept by the Ampatuans were discovered and retrieved in two shallow pits covered by piles of gravel at Barrio Tres, Poblacion, Sharif Aguak, Maguindanao late afternoon of Dec 3”.

Found were two anti tank bazookas, four 60mm mortar, two 81mm mortar, one 90 recoilless rifle, or bazooka, three M60 machine gun, one 57rr (baby bazooka), one Barret rifle, two BAR, one cal. 50 HMG, one 9mm pistol, seven cal. 45 pistol, one Ultimax, one Bushmaster, one HK 11 and hundreds of thousands of ammunitions for M16 still in boxes marked Arms Corporation of the Philippines with date of manufacture stamped October 2008”.

The search for the arms cache was led by Col Leo Cresente Ferrer, commander of the Army's 601st Brigade, and together with Lt. Col. Edgardo De Leon, commander of the 73rd IB of the 10th Infantry Division and intelligence agents.

“The items from the discovered arms cache prove the proliferation of loose firearms and ammunitions in Maguindanao,” Lt. Cinco said. She added that military and PNP troops were still scouring the area for other hideaways of arms cache.