6 more BIFF bomb-makers yield to Army

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Six more members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters trained in fabrication of improvised explosive devices surrendered in Midsayap town in Cotabato province Friday.

Major Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, Saturday the six BIFF members agreed to surrender through the backdoor intercession of officials of the Army’s 34 Infantry Battalion and Brig. Gen. Donald Gumiran of the 602nd Infantry Brigade.

“Credit for their surrender also has to go to local officials in Midsayap municipality,” Rillera told reporters.

The six surrenderees had confessed to their having fabricated IEDs that the BIFF had used in recent bombings in central Mindanao.

The six men turned in a .30 caliber Garand rifle, two 7.62 millimeter bolt-action sniper rifles, an M79 grenade launcher and an M14 rifle before they renounced their membership with the BIFF during a surrender rite at the headquarters of the 34th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Salunayan, Midsayap.

Rillera said Midsayap Mayor Rolly Sacdalan had assured to help reintroduce the six erstwhile BIFF terrorists to mainstream society.

A total of 289 BIFF members had surrendered to units of the 6th ID in different towns in the provinces of Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani since 2022.

The BIFF and its allies Dawlah Islamiya and Al-Khobar all have a reputation for bombing commercial establishments and buses if owners refuse to pay “protection money” on a monthly basis.