SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao?Police and military authorities dug up yet another cache of firearms belonging to the Ampatuan clan here Monday.
An Army general described the area as one of the hidden arsenals of the clan.
Major General Raymundo Ferrer, Eastern Mindanao Command chief, said government forces discovered another arsenal at the back of Ampatuan Sr.'s palatial homes in Barangay Poblacion, Shariff Aguak.
"We found four caliber 50 machine guns, several assorted rifles and ammunitions," Ferrer told reporters.
"As of last count, the government recovered more than 1,500 assorted long firearms and short arms and about 500,000 bullets for various calibers," Ferrer, also the Martial Law administrator, said.
"The accounting is ongoing, intelligence information showed what we hit was just the tip of the iceberg," he said.
Chief Supt. Felicisimo Khu, chief of Task Force 12 Alpha, said more civilians are coming out to provide the authorities information that would lead to the discovery of more firearms.
Ferrer said more and more civilians are also being invited for questioning but the military was respecting their rights.
On reports that human rights violations were committed by soldiers in the conduct of the inspections and searches, Ferrer said: "We are investigating it."
But Ferrer quickly added that he believed the report was not true ?but just the same we are investigating it."
"We have received nameless complaints, we cannot act on it minus formal complaints, these are disinformation," he said.
Ferrer said all searches and arrests have been transparent and covered by the media, police and civilian authorities.
The Martial Law administrator assured Maguindanaons that their rights will be respected.
"We are only after the suspects and those in possession of illegal firearms," he said, adding that those invited for questioning and found to have nothing to do with the Nov. 23 massacre were later freed.
He also appealed to civilians who have information about the location of other Ampatuan firearms to come forward and help the authorities.
Defense Sec. Norberto Gonzales visited Maguindanao Monday and assessed the situation.
In a command conference, Gonzales asked Ferrer if the process of finding the firepower and the arrest of those behind the massacre could be completed within the 60 day period of the military rule.
"We can do it sir," was Ferrer's response.
Gonzales also told Ferrer and the military forces implementing Martial Law that ?the rights of civilians and the innocents should not be, in any way, violated.?
Ferrer said all ground troops are under strict instructions not to conduct searches and arrests without the presence of media persons and police authorities.
