From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 4, 2020): PNP probes Datu Piang police chief as target in attack (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan and Priam Nepomuceno)
HUNT VS. BIFF ATTACKERS. Police officers from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) inspect the site of the police car that was burned in an attack by BIFF members in Datu Piang, Maguindanao on Friday (Dec. 4, 2020). The PNP is now looking into reports that the target of the attack that happened on Thursday night was the town's police chief, Capt. Israel Bayona. (Photo courtesy of PRO-BAR)
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is now looking into reports that Capt. Israel Bayona, police chief of Datu Piang, Maguindanao, was the target of the attack by members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on Thursday night.
"Isasama po yan ng mga imbestigador natin. Lahat po ng angle ay titingnan (Our investigators would include that in the probe. All angles would be looked into)," PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said in media statement on Friday.
Earlier reports quoted Joint Task Force Central spokesman Lt. Col. Anhouvic Atilano as saying that around 50 suspected members of the BIFF and terrorist group Dawlah Islamiya attacked Barangay Poblacion, resulting in an encounter between the terrorists and government troops.
Usana, meanwhile, added that there were no casualties from the incident but a police vehicle was burned.
"The PNP Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the Army from 40th Infantry Brigade responded immediately and reinforced the troops in the area. After 45 minutes, the municipality was cleared from any further intrusion," he added.
PNP chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, meanwhile, has alerted the Special Action Force to help in pursuit operations against those behind the attack.
"The police will file criminal charges against those terrorists responsible for the attack and burning of our patrol car, as we assure the Datu Piang residents of intensified security measures to prevent similar threats posed by violent extremists in the future", Sinas said in a statement.
Act of terror
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay called the attack a "clear act of terror".
"The burning of a PNP patrol car last night around 11 p.m. in Datu Piang, Maguindanao is a clear act of terror of the BIFF and whatever is the motive behind it, we are still investigating it jointly with the PNP," he said in a virtual media conference.
He added that these attacks are not new as they have been receiving reports of such incidents in Maguindanao every now and then with such harassments being repelled by government security forces.
"We have been receiving reports of harassments of security forces, detachments of the AFP, detachments of the PNP are being harassed every now and then as part of the terroristic action of the biff to sow terror in the area but most of these, in fact, all these harassments were repelled by our security and including this one," he added.
Gapay also noted that troopers from the 6th Infantry Division were able to respond immediately forcing the BIFF to retreat and prevent further loss of lives and destruction of properties.
"So this calls for renewed vigilance actually not only on the part of the security forces but for everyone because addressing terrorism really is a concern of everyone so with this incident I urge each and everyone to cooperate, particularly the general public, our stakeholders and partners to please continue cooperating and working with your security forces in their area so that we could prevent another incident such as this," he added.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1123825
"Isasama po yan ng mga imbestigador natin. Lahat po ng angle ay titingnan (Our investigators would include that in the probe. All angles would be looked into)," PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said in media statement on Friday.
Earlier reports quoted Joint Task Force Central spokesman Lt. Col. Anhouvic Atilano as saying that around 50 suspected members of the BIFF and terrorist group Dawlah Islamiya attacked Barangay Poblacion, resulting in an encounter between the terrorists and government troops.
Usana, meanwhile, added that there were no casualties from the incident but a police vehicle was burned.
"The PNP Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the Army from 40th Infantry Brigade responded immediately and reinforced the troops in the area. After 45 minutes, the municipality was cleared from any further intrusion," he added.
PNP chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, meanwhile, has alerted the Special Action Force to help in pursuit operations against those behind the attack.
"The police will file criminal charges against those terrorists responsible for the attack and burning of our patrol car, as we assure the Datu Piang residents of intensified security measures to prevent similar threats posed by violent extremists in the future", Sinas said in a statement.
Act of terror
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay called the attack a "clear act of terror".
"The burning of a PNP patrol car last night around 11 p.m. in Datu Piang, Maguindanao is a clear act of terror of the BIFF and whatever is the motive behind it, we are still investigating it jointly with the PNP," he said in a virtual media conference.
He added that these attacks are not new as they have been receiving reports of such incidents in Maguindanao every now and then with such harassments being repelled by government security forces.
"We have been receiving reports of harassments of security forces, detachments of the AFP, detachments of the PNP are being harassed every now and then as part of the terroristic action of the biff to sow terror in the area but most of these, in fact, all these harassments were repelled by our security and including this one," he added.
Gapay also noted that troopers from the 6th Infantry Division were able to respond immediately forcing the BIFF to retreat and prevent further loss of lives and destruction of properties.
"So this calls for renewed vigilance actually not only on the part of the security forces but for everyone because addressing terrorism really is a concern of everyone so with this incident I urge each and everyone to cooperate, particularly the general public, our stakeholders and partners to please continue cooperating and working with your security forces in their area so that we could prevent another incident such as this," he added.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1123825
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