SIX members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have pledged allegiance to the government after they surrendered Monday, June 28, to military authorities in Maguindanao.
Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), did not release the identities of the six BIFF members, but said they belong to the BIFF-Bungos faction.
Vinluan said the BIFF surrenderers handed over six high-powered rifles consisting of two M16A1, one M14, and three caliber .30 M1 Garand with ammunition when they surrendered at the 6th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Sitio Landing Fish in Buayan village, Datu Piang, Maguindanao.
Colonel Pedro Balisi, 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade commander, said the successful surrender of the six BIFF members was facilitated by the military and the local government unit led by Datu Salibo Mayor Solaiman Sandigan.
"The surrender of the six exemplifies the dwindling of the group, hence we will continue our focused military operations and civil-military cooperation to sustain the momentum," Balisi said.
Major General Juvymax Uy, 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force (JTF)-Central commander, has called on the remaining members of the BIFF to return to the folds of the law and enjoy a peaceful life with their loved ones.
Uy also emphasized that JTF-Central will continue to hunt down the remaining terrorists and violent extremists in Central Mindanao.
Since January, a total of 145 BIFF militants were neutralized by the troops of the JTF-Central, 100 of which were killed and 45 surrendered.
"With our earnest desire to win lasting peace in our area of operation, the Western Mindanao Command through all of its Joint Task Forces is working doubly to eliminate the remaining terrorists either through focused military operations or peaceful mechanisms," Vinluan said.
"We are currently in advantage and we are capable of sustaining this through the support of our partners, stakeholders, the local government units, and the people. For that we want to express our sincerest gratitude to all those who give their all-out support to the accomplishment of our mission," he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)