Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events: WESTMINCOM: BIFF top officer surrenders in Maguindanao

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

WESTMINCOM: BIFF top officer surrenders in Maguindanao

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Facebook Page (Oct 31, 2020): BIFF top officer surrenders in Maguindanao

Camp Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga City- October 31, 2020

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., the Western Mindanao Command Chief said that the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters-Karialan Faction yielded to the military in the afternoon of October 30, 2020.

“Abdulgani Dimalen submitted himself to the 33rd Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Elmer Boongaling at around 2:30 p.m. yesterday,” Lt. Gen. Vinluan said.

According to Lt. Gen. Vinluan, Jr., Dimalen heard about the livelihood assistance that he may receive once he surface and this convinced him to lay down his weapon.

In local dialect, Dimalen said, “I realized that the soldiers are not our enemies, they are just doing their job”.

Dimalen brought along with him his M14 rifle and was subsequently presented to Col. Ferdinand Lacadin, the Officer-In-Charge of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade.

“The said activity held at the 1Mech Bde headquarters in Barangay Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao was witnessed by Shariff Aguak Mayor Marop Ampatuan and some relatives of Dimalen,” said Lt. Col. Boongaling.

In his message, Col. Lacadin praised Dimalen for his decision to come out and return to the fold of the law.

Col. Lacadin further addressed Dimalen by saying, “You made the right decision. There are better ways to live than to fight with the government and be with the outlawed group”.

The BIFF-Karialan Faction is involved in numerous atrocities in Central Mindanao.

“The influx of surrenders reflects the positive response of the people and the adversaries in our peaceful mechanisms,” said Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, JTF Central Commander.

Likewise, Lt. Gen. Vinluan, Jr. lauded the troops of the Joint Task Force Central and the intelligence units for sustaining the efforts to end terrorism and to bring about peace and progress in Central Mindanao.

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