Seven more BIFF men surrender in Maguindanao
Mindanao Armed Conflict • 11:15 AM Fri Apr 10, 2020
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By:
John M. Unson
The seven BIFF members yielded through the efforts of the 7th IB and local officials. (Contributed)
COTABATO CITY --- Seven followers of the extremist Imam Bongos, wanted for recent deadly bombings in central Mindanao, surrendered to the military.
Col. Jose Narciso of the Army’s 601st Brigade said Friday the seven members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, all from Sultan sa Barongis town, yielded and turned in assorted firearms following the military’s heavy anti-BIFF offensives last month in Maguindanao province.
They belong to a BIFF faction under Imam Bongos, a preacher long wanted for acts of terror.
Imam Bongos is vocal in fomenting hatred for non-Muslims and in advocating for a puritan southern Islamic community in his sermons during Friday worship rites.
Narciso said the seven BIFF bandits surrendered early this week to the 7th Infantry Battalion based in Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Maguindanao.
He said they agreed to renounce their BIFF membership through the intercession of the 7th IB and municipal officials.
Almost 200 members of the BIFF, also known as the Dawlah Islamiya operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, surrendered in batches in the past two years to units of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division that has jurisdiction over the 601st Brigade.
Narciso said the 601st Brigade is thankful to the mayor of Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Nathaniel Midtimbang, for immediately extending cash assistance to each of the seven BIFF gunmen as they pledged allegiance to the Philippine government.
Many of the BIFF members who have returned to the fold of law are now being reintroduced to mainstream society via a collaborative effort of Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon, commander of 6th ID, and the office of Bangsamoro Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo.