What began as a routine citation for illegally parked vehicles in Midsayap, Cotabato turned into a major firearms bust on September 1, 2026, when law enforcement officers discovered ten unlicensed weapons — including a military-grade rifle — stashed inside three private trucks. The Philippine National Police confirmed that three male suspects were taken into custody following the operation.
Traffic Violation Tip-Off Leads to Major Discovery
According to the Philippine National Police, officers from the Special Operations Team of Regional Highway Patrol Unit 12, in coordination with the Midsayap Municipal Police Station, were conducting a standard anti-carnapping patrol when they noticed three vehicles parked illegally along Barangay Poblacion 5 in Midsayap, Cotabato.
The officers approached the vehicles — a white Mitsubishi Montero, a gray Toyota Hilux, and a white Nissan Navara — intending only to issue traffic violation tickets for obstructing the road. However, the situation escalated quickly when one officer spotted a pistol lying in plain view beside the gear shift inside one of the vehicles, the PNP said in a statement.
When the driver of that vehicle was asked to produce the necessary paperwork to legally cover the firearm, he was unable to do so. Officers then moved to detain all three male occupants of the vehicles and secured the trucks for a more thorough search.
Ten Firearms Found Across Three Trucks
A systematic search of all three vehicles yielded a significant arsenal of unlicensed firearms, according to the PNP. The complete inventory of recovered weapons included:
- Four Cal. .45 Colt pistols
- Three Cal. .45 Armscor pistols
- One Cal. .45 Infinity Firearms GPTX USA pistol
- One Cal. .45 Remington pistol
- One Elisco M16A1 rifle
- One Cal. 5.56 Remington Arms rifle
In addition to the ten firearms, officers also recovered multiple magazines and assorted live ammunition from within the vehicles. All three trucks were placed under police custody and are being held while authorities complete the necessary documentation, conduct ballistic examinations, and verify the recovered items before formal legal proceedings commence, the PNP said.
Suspects Identified as Residents of Bangsamoro SGA Municipality
The three arrested individuals are male drivers aged 31, 28, and 22. All three are residents of Nabalawag, a municipality located within the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or BARMM, according to the PNP.
Specifically, the two older suspects hail from Barangay Kadigasan, while the youngest is a resident of Barangay Kadingilan — both situated within Nabalawag. The PNP noted that Nabalawag is among eight municipalities established within the SGA following a plebiscite held in April 2024. The municipalities in the SGA were formed from barangays that had previously been part of Midsayap and Aleosan in North Cotabato.
Criminal Charges Filed Under Two Laws
The PNP said the three suspects now face legal proceedings for alleged violations of two separate laws. The first is Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code, which addresses resistance and disobedience to persons in authority or their agents. The second is Republic Act No. 10591, also known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which governs the ownership, possession, carrying, and registration of firearms and ammunition in the Philippines.
The PNP added that the filing of formal charges is subject to the completion of documentation and the results of ballistic testing on all recovered firearms and ammunition.
PNP Chief Emphasizes Value of Alertness in Routine Deployments
PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. issued a statement following the operation, stressing that the outcome was a direct result of officers maintaining their vigilance even during what appeared to be an unremarkable patrol assignment.
“Our personnel must remain alert even during routine patrols because seemingly ordinary encounters can reveal serious threats. This operation demonstrates the importance of vigilance, sound judgment, and decisive police action in keeping our communities safe,” Nartatez said, as quoted in the PNP statement.
The PNP chief further emphasized that taking illegal firearms off the streets is a fundamental part of crime prevention efforts. He also warned that any individual found to be violating the rules and regulations governing the ownership and carrying of firearms will be held fully accountable under the law.
Operation Supports PNP’s Proactive Enforcement Agenda
The PNP said the Midsayap firearm seizure is consistent with its Focused Agenda, which includes the Enhanced Managing Police Operations component. This component prioritizes proactive law enforcement measures designed to neutralize threats to public safety before they can escalate.
The highway patrol unit’s anti-carnapping deployment — classified as a routine mission — ultimately led officers to uncover what the PNP described as a substantial cache of unlicensed weapons being transported across three coordinated private vehicles. The incident serves as a reminder that standard police operations can yield significant results when officers remain observant and decisive.
By the Numbers
- 10 — total unlicensed firearms recovered from the three vehicles
- 3 — suspects arrested, aged 31, 28, and 22 years old
- 3 — vehicles seized (white Mitsubishi Montero, gray Toyota Hilux, white Nissan Navara)
- 2 — laws under which suspects face charges (Article 151, Revised Penal Code; RA 10591)
- 8 — municipalities created within the Bangsamoro SGA after the April 2024 plebiscite
Why This Matters
The discovery of ten unlicensed firearms — among them a military-pattern Elisco M16A1 rifle — during what was initially a routine traffic stop underscores how illegal weapons continue to move through Philippine roads concealed inside private vehicles. The PNP said the operation directly supports its broader mandate to proactively remove illegal firearms from circulation as a key crime prevention measure. PNP Chief Nartatez used the incident to reinforce a standing directive requiring officers to maintain full operational alertness even during seemingly ordinary patrol assignments.
Source: Philippine National Police Public Information Office
