TWO leaders and 10 followers of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) abandoned their armed struggle and returned to the folds of the law in Maguindanao, the military reported Wednesday, March 30, 2022.
Lieutenant General Alfredo Rosario Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the BIFF surrenderers were led by Anwar Pegas, a sub-leader of the BIFF-Karialan Faction, and his deputy, Zukarno Sailila.
Rosario said the two and 10 of their followers voluntarily surrendered to Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Alburo, 40th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, around 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, in Kabengi village, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
They surrendered high-powered firearms that included the following: two M-14 rifles, two M-16 Baby Armalite rifles, a Carbine rifle, two caliber .50 Barret Sniper rifles, two 9-millimeter (mm) submachine guns, one 40-mm rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launcher, two M-79 grenade launchers, and one 40-mm high explosive RPG ammunition.
During the initial debriefing, the BIFF surrenderers said they were experiencing hardships and starvation while evading the military operations, Alburo said.
He said they also realized that they were lured with false ideologies that affected themselves and their fellow Filipinos, hence, their withdrawal of support to the group.
Colonel Oriel Pangcog, 601st Infantry Brigade commander, said the surrender of the group is a result of the joint efforts of the Brigade, 40IB, Maguindanao Provincial Police Office, Ampatuan Municipal Police Station, and the local government of Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
Major General Juvymax Uy, commander of Joint Task Force (JTF)-Central, said the influx of BIFF surrenders manifests the continuous dwindling of the terrorist groups in Central Mindanao.
"We are optimistic that these groups, including the BIFF-Karialan Faction, are nearing its end," Uy said.
For the first quarter of 2022, JTF-Central has reported 97 BIFFs have surrendered in its area of operation.
This also yielded the recovery of 90 high-powered and low-powered firearms.
"We continue to gain grounds and this is attributable to the concerted efforts of the military troops, our partners, and stakeholders," Rosario said.
“I, personally, would like to urge those who are still hiding to cross the line. We are more than willing to welcome and assist you in your reintegration into mainstream society,” Rosario added. (SunStar Zamboanga)