BIFF refuses to return firearms of fallen SAF commandos

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has said neither the Senate nor the Moro Islamic Liberation Front can force them to return the firearms that they “recovered” from the scene of the firefight in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao.

In a defensive position deep inside Maguindanao anticipating retaliation from government forces, BIFF spokesperson Abu Misri Mama said they had no plans of surrendering the firearms and other equipment of the fallen Special Action Force commandos and added they would seize more weapons and munitions in future encounters.

“We have no plans of returning the firearms. Why would we? In fact, we will seize more firearms and ammunition from government forces in future operations,” Mama said.

The BIFF took at least 10 rifles — including a baby Armalite, four M16, a Bushmaster, two baby Armalites with M203 grenade launchers, an M16 with M203 grenade launcher and a 90mm recoilless rifle during the 11-hour firefight, Mama claimed.

The seized firearms will then be issued to new members or existing fighters who do not have weapons for actual combat, according to Mama.

At the Senate, several senators and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that criminal charges could be filed against the Moro rebels who took part in the slaughter of Special Action Force commandos of the Philippine National Police. To this, Mama said he could not see why they should be charged for just simply defending their positions from police commandos who maneuvered through the camp of the BIFF 1st Brigade.

The rebel group’s 1st Bridge is under the 1st Division led by Kagi Mohaiden “Karialan” Animbang, according to Mama.

“The SAF intruded into our area and attacked us. Why blame us for it? They failed in the operation so it is their fault,” Mama said.

With Senator Alan Peter Cayetano pinpointing the blame on the MILF and the BIFF for allegedly coddling Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in the area, Mama said no one could really say if the MILF was really protecting the Malaysian bombing suspect.

“They cannot say that Marwan was really inside the MILF territory the same way that they cannot say that he was inside our territory. Mamasapano is a huge town with several barangays. There are MILF, BIFF, soldiers, local government and even cops in Mamasapano. These groups co-exist in this area. Now how can they say who is protecting who?” Mama said.

President Aquino earlier vowed to get Abdul Basit Usman, an alleged bomb maker with links to the Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf and with a $1-million bounty on his head offered by the US State Department since 2009.

He was reportedly killed in air strikes in Pakistan and in Mindanao but military sources claimed that he was alive and was operating in Mindanao.

Sources said Usman was allegedly in the same area when Marwan was killed and tried to fight back to repel the SAF commandos.

“If the government knows where Usman is, then they should get him immediately,” Mama said.

Mama claimed that they have never provided shelter for a Basit Usman in their camps after they broke away from the MILF.

“There are many Usmans in Maguindanao but no one is named Basit. I have a cousin who is Usman but he is not a bomber,” Mama said.

The rebel spokesman said that he was not defending Usman but it offended him that Moros or Arabs who have been “fighting for their land and freedom” have been labeled as terrorists by the US government.

Mama also accused the US government of “terrorizing” other countries for its economic interest and then tag those who have resisted as terrorists.

“The US government terrorized the Middle East for oil. They are intruders because the Arabs are the native inhabitants in that area. The same thing is happening in Mindanao most especially in Liguasan Marsh for its oil deposits,” Mama said.

In a document released by Wikileaks, the US Embassy in Manila has wired a “sensitive but unclassified” message to the Central Intelligence Agency, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United States Pacific Command saying that 70 percent of the US$80 billion to US$1 trillion worth of mineral resources in the country is in Mindanao, including natural gas and oil deposits.

According to Department of Energy reports, the Cotabato Basin, which includes the Liguasan Marsh, has an estimated 202 million barrels of oil and at least 821 billion cubic feet of gas while the Sulu Sea has at least 209 million barrels of oil and 716 billion cubic feet of gas.

Militant groups like Bagong Alyansang Makabayan has asserted that this is the reason behind the presence of US forces in the country allegedly under the guise of joint military exercises and humanitarian reason.

But for now, Mama said they would wait and see what would be the next move of the government.