BIFF kills 2 farmers in North Cotabato

From the Manila Times (Oct 27): BIFF kills 2 farmers in North Cotabato

Two Visayan farmers in a peasant enclave near the Liguasan Marsh in Mlang town in North Cotabato were killed by suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on Thursday.

Chief Insp. Aldrin Gonzales, spokesman of the Police Regional Office-12, identified the victims as Mario Vesera and Raymon Patibu who were working in their neighboring farms in Barangay Gaunan in Mlang when two groups of gunmen arrived and peppered them with assault rifles. Both farmers were killed on the spot.

Local residents believed members of the outlawed BIFF were behind the attack.

Sources said the BIFF has been forcing Vesera and Patibu to pay “protection money” or revolutionary tax on a regular basis.

Barangay Gaunan is not too far from the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh, a known haven of Islamic State-inspired groups and criminal syndicates.

Gonzales said village officials are now helping to identify the culprits with the help of local Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders.

The MILF is obliged to help maintain law and order in potential conflict affected areas in Mindanao in accordance with its interim ceasefire accord with the national government, the 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities.

http://www.manilatimes.net/biff-kills-2-farmers-north-cotabato/359032/