Camp Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga City- March 17, 2021
Joint Task Force Central welcomed a new batch of former militants who abandoned their armed struggle and returned to the folds of the law on the afternoon of March 17, 2021, the WestMinCom Commander said.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., Commander of the Western Mindanao Command said that seven more local terrorists handed over their firearms and ammunition to the military in Maguindanao.
“Three of them were members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, one was a Daulah Islamiyah-Maguindanao member, and two were members of the Armed Lawless Group,” said Lt. Gen. Vinluan, Jr.
The seven handed over three M14 rifles, one KG-9 automatic pistol, one rocket-propelled grenade, one shotgun, one M79 grenade launcher, one improvised explosive device with a blasting cap, and ammunition of different calibers to Brig. Gen. Roberto Capulong, Commander of the 602nd Infantry Brigade; and Lt. Col. Rommel Mundala, Commander of the 90th Infantry Battalion at the 90IB headquarters in Barangay Ladtingan, Pikit, Cotabato.
According to Lt. Col. Mundala, the successful surrender of the seven lawless elements was a result of the combined efforts of the 602Bde, 90IB, the local government of Pikit led by Acting Mayor Muhyryn Sultan Casi, and the intelligence units.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Capulong said the former DI member was part of the group operating in the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato from 2017-2019. Another personality was a member of the BIFF-Bungos Faction and was involved in several atrocities in the municipalities of Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Mamasapano, and Datu Salibo while the three others were members of the BIFF-Karialan Faction who participated in the atrocities in Pikit last 2019. The remaining two were members of the Armed Lawless Group under the notorious Bungay brothers. The group is affiliated with the BIFF-Karialan Faction and was involved in several robberies, hold-ups, liquidation, and extortion incidents in North Cotabato and Maguindanao.
“Their identities are temporarily withheld for their safety,” Brig. Gen. Capulong further said.
Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, Commander of the Joint Task Force Central said he is hopeful that the number of surrenders in his area of operation will continue to snowball as the former militants expressed their full support to the military and the government as a whole.
He also attributed the surrender of 36 local terrorist group members (BIFF and DI) to the active participation of the local government units in the peace campaign of the unit.
The surrendered personalities are currently undergoing custodial debriefing facilitated by the intelligence operatives.
“Congratulations to the Joint Task Force Central led by Maj. Gen. Uy for the significant accomplishments in the campaign against terrorism in central and southern Mindanao,” said Lt. Gen. Vinluan.
“Carry on your good work for the people and our motherland,” the Commander added.
