9 more members of outlawed BIFF surrender in Maguindanao

Nine more members of outlawed BIFF surrender in Maguindanao MAGUINDANAO - Nine more members of a notorious Islamic State-inspired bloc pledged allegiance to the Philippine flag on Friday.The militants, led by Parido Balabagan, also known as Commander Banog, belong to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, blamed for all the deadly bombings in central Mindanao since 2010.They yielded voluntarily to the Army’s 6thInfantry Division through the intercession of officials of the 33rdInfantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc and key members of the Maguindanao provincial peace and order council.The council is chaired by the now third-termer Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu.Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of 6th ID, said Friday Balabagan and his men turned over assorted firearms and grenade launchers to the 33rdIB during a simple surrender rite in an interior barangay in General SK Pendatun, Maguindanao.Sobejana said the group also yielded two .50 caliber Barrett sniping launchers and launchers for anti-tank rockets.More than 20 BIFF members had surrendered to units of the 6thID in previous months.They are now being reintegrated into the local communities through joint socio-economic interventions by the provincial government of Maguindanao and the office of President Rodrigo Duterte. We ought to thank the local officials who helped convince these militants to return to the fold of law and live again as peace-loving citizens of the Philippines, Sobejana said.Sobejana said he and provincial officials in Maguindanao are expecting the surrender soon of more BIFF gunmen through the help of local officials and officers of the Army’s 2ndMechanized Brigade and the 601stBrigade.Both units have jurisdiction over remote towns in central Mindanao’s adjoining Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces where the BIFF operates.The BIFF has been trying to sabotage the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.