But military presence will continue for the implementation the P67-million 'socio-economic intervention' projects approved by President Benigno Aquino III
NEXT PHASE: AFP chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr announces to end of all-out offensive vs the BIFF to make way for the next phase of military operations
The military announced it is ending its all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and will make way for the return of residents back to their homes.
"Effective today, March 30, the all-out offensive against the BIFF would be ended," Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr said early Monday morning, March 30.
Catapang said the military has "defeated" the BIFF, whose members are now supposedly hiding in the Liguasan marshlands and even in the mountainous areas.
Military presence will continue
Military presence, however, will continue in Maguindanao and neighboring Cotabato where up to 120,000 residents were displaced by military operations.
Catapang announced a P67 million allocation approved by President Benigno Aquino III for "socio-economic" interventions in the war-torn areas.
"We are now entering the new phase of our operation which is peace and development. I want to emphasize that still, we will continuously deploy forces to secure communities and deny the BIFF entry into their former enclaves in Maguindanao. We will continue to hunt down the terrorists like Basit Usman and his cohorts who are now hiding outside the conflict areas," Catapang said.
The BIFF is a breakaway group of the dominant Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace agreement with the government last year. The peace process however was derailed after the bloody January 25 police operation in an MILF territory in Maguindanao.
The all-out offensive was launched after the tragedy. The military is accusing the BIFF of coddling terrorists who survived the January 25 operation.
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