10 BIFF men yield to Army in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 3, 2019): 10 BIFF men yield to Army in Maguindanao

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Ten surrendering members of the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were formally presented here to Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, on Sunday afternoon.

The surrenderers all belonged to the group of Gani Saligan, a sub-commander of the BIFF Karialan faction operating in the marshy areas of Maguindanao.

Saligan and his group voluntarily surrendered on Friday to the military in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. After their surrender, the BIFF members provided the Army with information on the location of their other comrades in the Maguindanao marshland.

With the confirmed information, Sobejana, concurrent head of the military-led Joint Task Force Central, ordered an air strike on pinpointed BIFF lairs at the marshland.

At 6 a.m. Saturday, two attack planes of the Philippine Air Force bombed Sitio Tatak, Barangay Tugal, Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao, destroying foxholes and running trenches of the terror group.

Brig. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, said the 10 BIFF fighters decided to surrender mainly for three reasons.

“These are their desire to be with their families and children, and even grandchildren, the continued and relentless military pursuit operations against them, and the benefits of returning to the folds of the law as experienced by their other comrades who yielded earlier,” he told reporters here in an interview.

He said some of those who surrendered were bomb experts and trained by Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan.”

Marwan died during an elite police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25, 2015. The same operation also left 44 police officers, 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and BIFF fighters, and five civilians dead.

Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu said the children and relatives of the surrendering BIFF members may be qualified to a scholarship program the government is offering for them. “Even former BIFF fighters who wish to study will be given priority,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060880