16 ‘tired’ BIFF members surrender to Army in Maguindanao

Brig. Gen. Juvy Max Uy, 6th IID assistant division commander, receives a rifle from one of the BIFF members who surrender to military authorities in Maguindanao. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Sixteen members of the Islamic State-linked Bangasamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) surrendered to military authorities in Maguindanao in the last two days, military officials said over the weekend.

Twelve of the BIFF fighters surrendered Thursday in Sultan sa Barongis town, handing their firearms to Lt. Colonel Elmer Boongaling, 33rd Infantry Battalion commander, while four other fighters yielded to Lt. Colonel Rogelio Gabi, 40th Infantry Battalion commander in Gen SK Pendatun town, also in Maguindanao.

The surrenderers were presented at Camp Siongco, the 6th Infantry Division (ID) headquarters, to assistant commander Brig. Gen. Juvy Max Uy in the presence of civil officials and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) spokesperson and Interior Minister Naguib
Sinarimbo.

BIFF field commander Wazre Kompas told military officials his group had been tired of fighting the government and running away from air and ground attacks of government forces.

“We have high hopes in BARMM and its new leaders,” Kompas said in the vernacular.

After their presentation, the former rebels received financial aid from BARMM through Sinarimbo.

Brig. Gen. Uy said to date, more than 110 BIFF in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat had surrendered to the military.