BIFF remains most potent threat group in N Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY -TheBangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), remains to bethemost potent threat group in North Cotabato, a top police official said. Senior Superintendent Danny Peralta, provincial director of the Cotabato Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said the BIFF rebels are monitored redeploying their forces, re-building firearms and logistics, showing of force, and involved in nefarious activities and other atrocities like clan feuds and bombing incidents. The group, he said, has intensified their recruitment and extortion activities. It also carried out hostile activities such as harassment and ambuscades using landmines against government troops. Meantime, there are also emerging organized crime groups and criminal gangs operating in Cotabato province believed responsible for motorcycle theft, carnapping, robbery, and other criminalities. Data from CPPO showed 60 percent of the 5,698 total crime volume in 2014 in the province were index crimes or those that involvecrimes against persons such as murder, homicide, physical injury, and rape, crimes against property such as ropbbery, theft, carnapping, and cattle rustling. Physical injuries topped the index crimes in 2014 with 1,527 murder, 185 homicide, 124 abd rape, 78. Theft cases recorded the most number in 2014 as to crimes against properties with 868 robbery, 375 motorcycle theft, 224 and cattle rustling, 44. The PNP in North Cotabato recorded crime solution efficiency at 38.35 percent in 2014 -- at least 10 percent lower in 2013. Crime solved in 2014 was only recorded at 38 percent, data showed. The city of Kidapawan, the province’s capital, registered the highest number of index crimes like murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, theft, and robbery. The town of Alamada recorded the most number of cattle rustling cases, while Midsayap town topped the motorcycle theft cases in 2014. Peralta said to help lessen the number of index crimes, especially in Kidapawan City, police has conducted random Oplan Lambat Bitag Sasakyan as a strategyto suppress movement of criminals and to recover stolen motorcycles. They also conduct checkpoint and chokepoint operations, continue tocarry out security survey and inspection of vital government installations in the area.