BIFF seen in Liguasan Marsh after AFP attacks

From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 6): BIFF seen in Liguasan Marsh after AFP attacks
 

SUSPECTED fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have shown up at the other end of the Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao after six days of ground, air and artillery strikes from the military, local officials said on Thursday.

Villagers in M’lang and Kidapawan City, both in neighboring Cotabato province east of the Liguasan Marsh, said dozens of armed men were seen in Barangay Dungu-an in M’lang town after the military offensive in the area around Mamasapano, Maguindanao at the western side of Liguasan Marsh.

M’lang Mayor Joselito Piñol urged security officials to reinforce the local police force to drive away the armed men who are roaming remote villages in the 20-kilometer stretch between M’lang and Kidapawan City.

Residents of Barangay Patadon in Kidapawan City have already reported seeing armed roaming their village, but the local police allegedly dismissed the report and said the armed men were far from “Muslim areas.”

The reports of local officials bolstered claims that BIFF fighters have already left their encampments at the western side of Liguasan Marsh because of the ongoing military offensive.

But newly-appointed  Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brigadier General Joselito Kakilala said the military is firming up its troops in cleared areas in order to prevent the BIFF bothering the local populace.

“The AFP intends to neutralize the BIFF through law enforcement actions in the so-called ‘SPMS (Salvo, Pagatin, Mamasapano, Shariff Aguak) Box’ and deny them influence in surrounding areas,” said Kakilala, concurrent commander of the AFP Civil Relations Service.

Kakilala said the campaign against the BIFF has already resulted in the “neutralization” of 50 BIFF fighters in addition to 37 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group which is also the subject of another military operation in Sulu, 675 kilometers away.

However, Kakilala said at least six government troops have already been killed in Sulu, the latest of whom were identified as 1Lt. Emerson M. Somera, 1Lt. James Magbanua and Sergeant Niel Daez.

Kakilala maintained that the offensives against the BIFF and ASG are very necessary to isolate these security threats from the civilian populace.

“We are gaining grounds in our fight against lawlessness and terrorism in Central Mindanao, Sulu and Basilan,” he said, adding that security forces have managed to stop planned bombing operations of the BIFF and ASG.

“In Basilan, we recently foiled an attempt to lay an improvised bomb by suspected ASG bandits in Barangay Kulay Bato, Lamitan City. We have coordinated with the LGU, local leaders and the police in monitoring the situation in order to pre-empt any terrorist attacks,” he said.

Against the BIFF, Kakilala said the military captured their bomb factory in an encampment they call Camp Omar followed by another bomb factory in Barangay Libutan in Mamasapano and a third in Barangay Dasikil, Mamasapano.

At the same time, the military is saddened that so many residents have been forced to evacuate their homes because of fighting in the areas of operation.

Kakilala said evacuees have reached 25,000, but lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary and Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team chairperson, said they have recorded a total of 8,236 families, or 41,180 individuals, who were displaced by the fighting from 11 of Maguindanao’s 36 towns.

“As of yesterday, all of the evacuees who took shelter inside the evacuation center in Pikit town have already returned to their respective communities. About 70% of the evacuees from Pagalungan town have already returned to their communities as well,” Kakilala said.

“We have also deployed the Task Force Kalinga, a unit that is composed of military doctors that will be augmented with civilian volunteers, in order to provide medical services to the evacuees who fled the ongoing law enforcement actions against the BIFF in Maguindanao,” he added.

He said Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang has met with Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu to collaborate on how to help deliver humanitarian assistance to the affected families.

“We are appealing to all armed groups to end all acts of violence that have caused the displacement of people from different communities. Please consider your options: Embrace lasting peace as our partners or continue to be on the run as enemies of the state.”

“We are assuring the Filipino people that the AFP has remained committed to the peace process. Through our collective efforts, we will help claim the peace, progress and prosperity for our people.”

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/06/biff-seen-in-liguasan-marsh-after-afp-attacks/