President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III is all for the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ all-out-offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Malacanang said Wednesday.
“The guidance of the President to our security forces is to relentlessly pursue both lawless elements and terrorist groups,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told INQUIRER.net after Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordered joint law enforcement operations with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Based on this guidance, the AFP reports that CSAFP, Gen. Gregorio Catapang has directed his operational commanders to conduct continuous joint law enforcement operations against the lawless elements like the BIFF, in collaboration with the PNP,” Coloma said.
He explained that the government aims to achieve this while “preventing collateral damage on civilian communities.”
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group, the BIFF, were involved in the Mamasapano debacle, which left 44 policemen dead last January 25. While the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) succeeded in killing international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, it was involved in a so-called misencounter with the MILF and the BIFF.
The BIFF, which has repeatedly rejected the current peace negotiations of the MILF and the Philippine government, is considered a lawless group by the Aquino administration.
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