ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippine military said six members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) surrendered over the weekend in Ampatuan town in the restive Muslim province of Maguindanao.
The militants’ surrender also coincided with the attack of a group of soldiers in Picong town in the neighboring province of Lanao del Sur. The ambush on a patrolling Marine unit wounded at least three soldiers.
The Western Mindanao Command said among those who surrendered was a commander identified only as alias King Fahad.
Lt. Col. Samuel Nadala Jr., commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion (2MIB), handed over the group to Col. Oriel Pangcog, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade.
Pangcog did not elaborate on the details of the surrender, but he said the former rebels were given an unspecified amount of cash as part of the military’s assistance to the returnees. He said the former Muslim extremists, who handed over six assorted rifles, will also be provided with more government aid.
From January to September, 178 BIFF members had yielded to the task force.
Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario, Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command, commended the 2MIB and the task force for their efforts in convincing rebels to surrender peacefully.
“The troops are now reaping the fruits of their efforts and sacrifices,” he said.
The BIFF is a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is still fighting for the establishment of a caliphate in Mindanao. Its leaders have pledged allegiance to ISIS and launched a violent campaign in the southern region.