Armed group leader, men yield in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 24, 2022): Armed group leader, men yield in Maguindanao (By Edwin Fernandez) 

ARMED GROUP SURRENDERS. Colonel Jeffrey Fernandez, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao deputy police regional director for operations, receives a rifle from members of the Ameril private armed group during their surrender in Talitay, Maguindanao, on Wednesday (March 23, 2022). The group yielded five high-powered firearms. (Photo from PRO-BARMM)

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao – A leader of a private armed group (PAG) in Maguindanao and four of his men have voluntarily surrendered to authorities ahead of the start of the campaign period for local candidates, police said Thursday.

Colonel Jeffrey Fernandez, deputy director for operations of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) police office, welcomed the surrender of Sidik Ameril and four of his men during Wednesday's surrender rite in Talitay town.

"This is a long-awaited development,” Fernandez told reporters here in an interview, noting that Ameril is a former assemblyman in Maguindanao.

Ameril’s group turned over an M14 rifle, Ultimax rifle, M16 rifle, Carbine rifle, and a homemade grenade launcher.

Ameril said he and his men decided to surrender to clear their names from the police list of active PAGs and help in the government’s efforts to come up with a secure, accurate, fair, and free 2022 national and local polls.

The campaign period for local candidates is set for Friday, March 25.

In December last year, six-armed followers of Ameril also surrendered to police authorities in Camp Gen. S.K. Pendatun, the BARMM police regional headquarters, and handed over six assorted high-powered firearms.

“Our intention is honest. We want to live peacefully in our communities, we are ready to work with the government to help convince other PAGs to also surrender, so we can come up with a peaceful and credible election,” Ameril said.

Fernandez said the Police Regional Office in BARMM is committed to dissolving PAGs in the region.

“Come down, return to the fold of the law and live peacefully,” Fernandez told other PAGs and armed lawless groups that are still in hiding.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170535