4 teachers, child flee from BIFF rebels in North Cotabato

Members of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—Four teachers and a child managed to escape from  Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) rebels shortly before dusk Monday, authorities and survivors said.

Mayor Romeo Araña said the four teachers and a child have been undergoing medical examination at a private hospital here, about an hour after they managed to escape from the BIFF who used them as human shields as they fled toward the marshy area of Barangay (village) Malingao, Midsayap, North Cotabato.

Ruby Hiro, a teacher of Malingao Elementary School and one of the 12 teachers earlier held by BIFF inside the school compound, managed to escape as they were being transported to the fish landing area, beside the Rio Grande de Mindanao.

“One civilian grabbed me and we hid beside the road as the rebels were in a hurry leaving the school compound,” Hiro told reporters at the hospital here.

She said all the 12 teachers were, at gunpoint, ordered to board a “trisikad” (pedal-pushed pedicab) by the armed men and were to be taken to the riverside.

As they were heading toward the riverside, one teacher sought to answer the call of nature while the trisikad had a busted tire.

As the rebels were in haste, they left the three other teachers and a pupil, a daughter of one of the teachers.

Hiro, her three co-teachers and the child, were later brought by residents to the military who handed them over to a Jessy Ned, a representative of North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza.

As of 7 p.m. Monday, nine teachers remained in the hands of BIFF as they fled.  Sporadic gun fire could still be heard near Barangay Malingao.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division (6ID) spokesman, said fighting subsided before dusk Monday but retreating rebels wee still holding on to several hostages whose identifies had yet to be determined.

Two more soldiers and two rebels died during the afternoon firefight, raising the casualty figure to three soldiers and seven BIFF rebels.

The fighting, which began about 5 a.m. Monday in the villages of Tugal and Raradangan also displaced some 2,000 families from six villages.

Hiro, in her late 30s, said a commotion occurred at about 8 a.m. when parents arrived in school and took their children, telling the teachers they saw about 100 armed rebels coming to Barangay Malingao.

They allowed the parents to take home their children before deciding to leave the school. But it was too late because the rebels had entered the school compound.

“They told us not to leave because we might be hit by stray bullets,” she said.  Then the rebels took their valuables including mobile phones, wallets and watches.

She said fighting was intense that most of the time they were lying on the flood to avoid being hit.  The rebels also holed out inside the school building and traded bullets with government forces.

When dark came, the rebels decided to escape, bringing with them all the 12 teachers.  Civilians residing in the villages were allowed to leave.

She said they had not taken any food since 8 a.m. Monday.

Related Story:

BIFF releases 4 teachers, 11 farmers