Authorities arrested three individuals and seized high-powered firearms during a buy-bust operation in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte on Sunday as part of intensified efforts to curb the proliferation of loose firearms in the province.
The operation, conducted at around 12:10 p.m. on March 8, 2026, in Barangay Bayanga Norte, was carried out by operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit–Special Operations Group (RDEU-SOG) in coordination with multiple police and military units.
According to the Maguindanao del Norte Police Provincial Office (MDN PPO), the suspects were apprehended after they agreed to sell two high-powered firearms to an undercover police operative posing as a buyer.
Confiscated from the suspects were one Colt 5.56 rifle and one CIS 5.56 rifle, along with two magazine assemblies for 5.56 rifles and 13 live rounds of 5.56 ammunition. Authorities also seized one Isuzu Elf truck and one Honda Click motorcycle believed to have been used in the transaction.
The buy-bust money used during the operation included one genuine ₱1,000 bill and 99 pieces of boodle money.
The operation was led by Police Captain Klein Wyll Tresmanio of the RDEU-SOG under the direct supervision of Police Lieutenant Colonel Tan S. Bulaglag. It was supported by personnel from the 1402nd and 1401st Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14-A, the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, the Provincial Intelligence Unit of MDN, the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit PSOG of MDN PPO, the Tactical Support Company, the Matanog Municipal Police Station, and the 549th Engineer Combat Battalion of the 54th Engineer Brigade of the Philippine Army.
Authorities conducted the inventory, marking, and documentation of the seized evidence at the site of the arrest in the presence of the suspects and elected officials of Barangay Bayanga Norte to ensure transparency and compliance with legal procedures.
The arrested individuals were informed of their constitutional rights and the charges against them before being brought to the Matanog Municipal Police Station for temporary detention.
The confiscated firearms and other pieces of evidence were turned over to the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for proper disposition.
Police Colonel George D. Bagundol Jr., acting provincial director of the Maguindanao del Norte PPO, commended the operating units for the successful operation and emphasized the importance of continued vigilance against the illegal trade of firearms.
Bagundol said the arrest underscores the police force’s intensified campaign against loose firearms, which remain a significant threat to public safety and peace and order in the province.
Authorities are preparing charges against the suspects for violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. The law imposes stiff penalties on individuals found in possession of or engaged in the illegal sale of firearms and ammunition without proper authorization.