BIFF men yield to Pagalungan LGU

MAGUINDANAO --- Local officials in Pagalungan town turned over Monday to the 602^nd Infantry Brigade six terrorists to renounce their membership with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Pagalungan Mayor Salik Mamasabulod said Tuesday the six BIFF members yielded after learning that their companions who surrendered in recent months through the municipal peace and order council are now being reintegrated into the local communities.

Mamasabulod is chairperson of the municipal peace and order council in Pagalungan, located in the second district of Maguindanao province.

He told reporters the six gunmen belong to a group led by Imam Karialan, leader of one of three factions in the BIFF.

Karialan, a radical cleric, is wanted for deadly bombings in the past four years in central Mindanao.

Brig. Gen. Roberto Capulong, commander of the Army’s 602^nd Brigade, said he is thankful to the Pagalungan LGU and officials of the 90^th Infantry Battalion for securing the surrender of the six BIFF members through backdoor dialogues.

The BIFF, also known as the Dawlah Islamiya, is operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

It has a reputation for attacking non-military targets and for bombing public places and conveyances to avenge deaths of members in clashes with pursuing state security forces.

Mamasabulod said he is certain more BIFF members in his municipality would soon come out and return to the fold of law.

More than 200 BIFF members have surrendered to the 603^rd, 602^nd and 601^st Infantry Brigade of the 6^th Infantry Division since 2017.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of 6^th ID, said Tuesday he is grateful to the social welfare and the local government ministries of the Bangsamoro government for helping usher to mainstream society the reforming former BIFF terrorists through socio-economic and psycho-social interventions.