Four ‘rogue’ Moro rebels die in Mindanao clash

From the Gulf Today (Dec 7): Four ‘rogue’ Moro rebels die in Mindanao clash

Four members of a “rogue” Moro rebel group that pledged allegiance to the Daesh extremists in the Middle East were killed in an encounter in Maguindanao province even as Malacanang Palace announced the appointment of a soon-to-retire top military officer as the next presidential adviser on the peace process.

The military confirmed the killing of the four members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who were foiled in their attempt to hoist the black Daesh flag in a remote ‘barangay” (village) in the town of Ampatuan, Maguindanao on Tuesday.

Major General Cirilo Sobejana, an Army infantry division commander, said concerned residents reported the presence of heavily-armed BIFF men at the village where they planned to raise the Daesh flag.

The military said the BIFF was founded by the late veteran field commander Ameril Umbra Kato of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who seceded with about 1,000 of his armed followers due to major policy differences with the front leaders over the conduct of their peace talks with the government.

The MILF and the government later signed an historic peace agreement aimed at helping bring just and lasting peace to troubled Mindanao that resulted in Congress approving the Bangsamoro Organic Law that was later signed by President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte.

But the BIFF said they would continue to oppose the law which mandates the government to set up a new Bangsamoro political entity whose initial territory is to come from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi as well as Marawi City.

In a related development, Malacanang Palace announced the appointment of General Carlito Galvez, who is to retire on Dec.12 as the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as the next presidential adviser on the peace process.

Malacanang said Galvez is to replace Duterte’s close friend and political ally then secretary Jesus Dureza who resigned from his post following the president’s announcement that he has dismissed two of Dureza’s aide for alleged rampant corruption.

Malacanang lauded Dureza for his “delicadeza” in resigning although he was not involved in the scandal, pointing out it spoke highly of his commitment as an honest public servant to help Duterte in his war on corruption, drugs and rampant criminality.

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