Military to set up detachments in former BIFF lairs

MANILA, Philippines - The military will set up detachments in former lairs of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to prevent the rebels from staging atrocities.

Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said military presence is important in maintaining stability in the area.

“The mere presence is deterrence for the enemy not to return. The presence is a way for us to patrol a bigger portion of the influence area and rid the influence area of the enemy,” Zagala said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“We are already there. We will stay. We will set up our own presence so we can continue clearing the area from BIFF. We will put detachments there,” he added.

Zagala said the military would establish detachments in Barangays Ganta, Daswad, Bakat and Damablas all in Maguindanao.

No timeline has been set for the clearing operation, which seeks to track down BIFF remnants and to remove explosives left behind by the rebels.

“What is important is we look for them so they won’t bring harm to our citizens and communities there,” Zagala said.

The detachments will be manned by troops from the 6th Infantry Division. Zagala declined to say how many soldiers will be assigned to the detachments citing security reasons.

Government forces launched offensives against the BIFF last Jan. 27 to serve arrest warrants against rebel leaders with criminal cases.

The campaign, dubbed as “Operation Dark Horse,” led to the capture of four BIFF camps and an explosive factory in Maguindanao.

However, the group’s leader Umra Kato and his senior aide Ustadz Muhaiden Animbang remain at large. Kato is facing several criminal charges for mounting attacks against civilians in Mindanao in 2008. 

Security officials said 52 BIFF members and one soldier were killed during gun battles in Sharif Saydona, Rajah Buayan and Datu Piang all of Maguindanao and Pikit in North Cotabato.

Last Sunday, the military announced the termination of “Operation Dark Horse” as it claimed that the BIFF’s capability to launch attacks has been reduced significantly.

Meanwhile, the military reminded members of the media to undertake precautionary measures when covering conflict.

“Our constitution guarantees freedom of the press and our armed forces will not curtail that freedom. But we would like to appeal to media to think of safety first before any story,” Zagala said.

He urged the media to wear protective gear such as helmets and armored vests and to hold safety seminars.

“I believe we should just have more consultations in terms of safety and put in measures when media is with the military especially on critical operations,” Zagala said.

On Saturday, 12 persons including two media men from TV 5 were hurt in a blast in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.

Three days later, an improvised explosive device went off shortly after a 10-vehicle convoy passed by Barangay Tuka in Mamasapano town.

The convoy, which consisted of two Simba fighting vehicles, three KM 450 military trucks, two vehicles owned by the local government and vehicles of ABS-CBN, GMA 7 and TV 5, was about 100 to 200 meters from the explosion site. 

No one was hurt during the incident, which happened as the military was conducting clearing operations.