BANGUINGUI, Sulu — In a small coastal barangay accessible mainly by boat, a single shotgun placed into the custody of soldiers and police this week carried weight far beyond its metal and wood. Local leaders and Philippine security officials say the voluntary surrender of the firearm in Barangay Tainga-Bakkao on Feb. 18 marks another modest but meaningful step in a long campaign to reduce the presence of loose weapons and strengthen civilian trust in government authority in one of the country’s most fragile security environments.
The firearm — a Browning A5 12-gauge shotgun with five rounds of ammunition — was turned over to troops of the Philippine Army’s 104th Infantry Battalion, operating under the 1102nd Infantry Brigade of the 11th Infantry “Alakdan” Division, in coordination with the Banguingui Municipal Police Station. The handover was facilitated by Abdulbasir A. Said, the barangay chairman, alongside other local officials, after weeks of dialogue between residents and security forces.
To outside observers, the surrender of a single weapon might seem insignificant. But in Sulu, where firearms have long been woven into clan defense, insurgency, and shadow economies, each voluntary turnover is seen by military and civilian leaders as a tangible indicator of shifting local attitudes — and a test of whether state-community partnerships can gradually replace cycles of fear and coercion.
“This reflects the gains of sustained engagement and trust-building with local leaders and communities,” Lt. Col. Roy R. Dalumpines, commander of the 104th Infantry Battalion, said in a statement. “Every voluntary surrender is not only a removal of a weapon from circulation but a sign that residents see cooperation, not confrontation, as the safer path.”
Banguingui, an island municipality southwest of Jolo, has for decades been shaped by armed conflict, smuggling routes, and clan rivalries. The broader Sulu archipelago has been a stronghold of insurgent and extremist groups, though violence has declined in recent years following intensified military operations and political transitions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Security officials say the latest surrender forms part of a broader initiative to declare Banguingui a “gun-free municipality,” a designation intended to signal that local governance and civilian life are no longer dominated by armed actors. Such declarations have been pursued in other parts of Sulu with mixed success, often depending on sustained cooperation from local leaders.
Brig. Gen. Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade, described the handover as evidence that community-led actions remain central to peacebuilding. “Cooperation between security forces and stakeholders is essential,” he said. “Peace cannot be imposed solely through operations; it must be built with the community.”
In recent years, the Philippine military has increasingly emphasized localized engagement strategies in Sulu, combining security patrols with civil-military programs, mediation support, and coordination with local government units and police. Analysts say such approaches reflect lessons learned from decades of counterinsurgency, where purely force-driven campaigns often failed to produce lasting stability.
Maj. Gen. Leonardo I. Peña, commander of Joint Task Force Orion and the 11th Infantry Division, said voluntary surrenders demonstrate “growing public confidence in government peace initiatives” and point toward gradual normalization. “These actions signal continued progress toward lasting stability in Sulu,” he said.©️KuryenteNews
For barangay officials in Tainga-Bakkao, the process was as important as the outcome. Community dialogues were held to address residents’ security concerns and the role of privately held firearms in local disputes. Local leaders then coordinated with military and police units to ensure that the surrender could be conducted without stigma or reprisal.
Residents in remote island communities often retain weapons for self-defense in areas where state presence has historically been limited. Security officials acknowledge that persuading individuals to relinquish arms requires assurances that authorities can provide protection and fair mediation in conflicts that might otherwise escalate.
The Philippine Army’s 11th Infantry Division said it continues to coordinate closely with local government units, the Philippine National Police, and partner agencies to support community-driven peace and safety programs across Sulu. Officials say the approach aims not only to reduce weapons but also to reinforce governance structures that can prevent their re-accumulation.
Peacebuilding specialists caution that such efforts remain fragile. Sulu’s security landscape has improved since the decline of major extremist factions and the integration of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants into the BARMM political framework. Yet localized violence, clan feuds, and illicit trade networks persist, and the proliferation of small arms remains a long-term concern.
Even so, each voluntary surrender carries symbolic power. In places where mistrust of authority once ran deep, the act of handing over a weapon can represent a shift from autonomy toward shared governance — a quiet acknowledgment that community security may be better ensured collectively than individually.
Local leaders in Banguingui say they hope the designation of a gun-free municipality will encourage investment, mobility, and education in an area long constrained by insecurity. Military officials, for their part, emphasize that the goal is not merely disarmament but normalization: the gradual transition from a conflict-shaped society to one where civilian institutions take precedence.
On a wooden table in a barangay hall overlooking the sea, the surrendered shotgun rested briefly before being logged into official custody. Around it stood a small group of soldiers, police officers, and local officials — figures who, in earlier years, might have faced one another with suspicion.
Now, they posed together for documentation, a ritual repeated across conflict-affected communities: a weapon removed, a photograph taken, a pledge of cooperation renewed.
In the arithmetic of peacebuilding, the number is small — one firearm. But in the fragile calculus of trust in Sulu, officials say, it counts.