Capt. Rey Balibagoso, spokesperson of the Army’s 1002nd
Brigade, said Friday all their units in the area are currently on heightened
alert for possible spillover incidents in connection with the operations
against the BIFF.
Although there are no known BIFF forces or elements situated
within their area of coverage, he said they have established contingency plans
in case the conflict further escalates.
He said their troops could be tapped anytime to reinforce
other units that will be directly involved in the operations, which would be
concentrated in parts of Maguindanao and North Cotabato
provinces.
Balibagoso said the two provinces are under the operational
jurisdiction of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID).
“When the operations begin, we will be the reserve force of
the 6th ID,” he said in a radio interview.
The Army official urged local residents to be extra vigilant
and cooperate with authorities to avert possible spillover incidents in the
area.
He cited past scenarios wherein key areas in the region were
rocked by bombing incidents and other related attacks during major military
operations or offensives against the BIFF.
“We anticipate that there will be attempts by the group to
divert the attention of troops focused on the offensives and we’re preparing
for that,” he said.
Balibagoso advised residents to immediately report to the
nearest police station or Army unit any movement of BIFF elements in the area.
“It’s important for everyone to be involved in this aspect
as the usual target of these attacks are innocent civilians,” he said.
The hinterlands of Maasim in Sarangani Province is a known
entry and escape route of armed groups, among them the BIFF, operating in the
province and nearby areas in the past several years.
The BIFF had staged several attacks in the Maasim town in
the last three years and used upland villages as escape route.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739687
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