AFP, PNP to continue offensive vs BIFF

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the rising number of evacuees, the military and police offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Cotabato and Maguindanao will continue.

Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said local governments will give assistance to displaced residents.

“The offensives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are in line with the guidance of the President to continue the efforts against terrorist groups and lawless elements, especially peace spoilers,” he said.

“We hope that with the help of different sectors, we can finish this soon because we understand the sufferings of our countrymen.” 

Cabunoc said local officials are working closely with ground commanders to facilitate the return of residents to areas cleared of BIFF combatants.

“The international relief organizations and our local government units are collaborating to help the affected families in evacuation centers,” he said.

The fighting in Maguindanao could last for three more months or until June, according to Gov. Mujiv  Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

BIFF commanders Tambako and Karialan are believed to have fled deeper into the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta.

Army soldiers and Marines now control the BIFF’s largest camp west of Mamasapano.

Last Friday, two Marines and an Army soldier were wounded in a clash with the BIFF along stretches of the Cotabato-General Santos Highway in Maguindanao’s adjoining towns of Datu Saudi and Datu Unsay towns.

Battle-hardened Marines from Sulu now guard strategic areas in Mamasapano to prevent the BIFF  from returning.

Army 6th Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Jo-anne Petinglay said BIFF fighters are using illegal drugs before going to war.

Government troops found remnants and paraphernalia of illegal drugs within a BIFF camp seized following heavy fighting last Sunday, she added.

Speaking over Bombo Radyo yesterday, Petinglay said illegal drugs fueled BIFF fighters whenever they faced government troops in combat.

“By doing so, it clearly showed who and what kind of people the BIFF men are,” she said.

Army disarms bomb

Petinglay said Army troops  disarmed a powerful improvised explosive device beside a hardware store in Sitio Lotte, Barangay Kayaga, Kabacan town in Cotabato at about 11:40 a.m. yesterday.

“The local police and the military will continue to be partners of the people in their quest for peaceful community in the entire region,” she said.

A passersby found the explosive and immediately reported it to  authorities, Petinglay said.

In Lamitan City in Basilan, troops engaged four Abu Sayyaf bombers under Commander Edris Sampang in a five-minute shootout at about 3 a.m. yesterday.

Capt. Geralfredo Andal, 19th Special Forces Company commander, said the bombers withdrew towards the general direction of Barangay Bulanting, Lamitan.

They left one hand grenade, one soldering iron, a long nose pliers, two toggle switches, soldering lead, pieces of diodes, wires and drug paraphernalia, he added.

Cabunoc said troops had recovered materials used for making explosives.

“Our troops had received information about a plan to plant a bomb in the area and with the operation, they were able to thwart it,” he said.

“We are concerned by the development because they (bombers) target crowded areas, sow disorder and cause panic among the populace.”

Sahiron wounded?

Military intelligence has been mobilized to verify reports that Radullan Sahiron, the most senior Abu Sayyaf commander, was among those wounded in the  military offensive in the mountains of Sulu.

A band of 300 Abu Sayyaf fighters is believed to have splintered into small factions to try to slip out of the military dragnet in the Patikul jungle to evade pursuing troops.

Col. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said the latest report about the fate of Sahiron came from a non-government organization in the area.

The one-armed bandit gained notoriety after leading an Abu Sayyaf faction in Sulu.

Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela, Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesperson, said the Abu Sayyaf band of Sahiron and Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan remained holed out in the jungle of Patikul.

“As much as possible the military forces want to cordon the operation area to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from slipping out,” she said.

Marines, police and other military units have set up checkpoints and blocked all possible routes of escape, Muyuela said.

Food rations

Around 8,000 people in Pagalungan, Maguindanao have received two weeks’ worth of food rations, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and jerry cans from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC). – With Jaime Laude, John Unson, Ramil Bajo, Roel Pareño