SURRENDER. Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy (right), commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, presents to Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana (3rd left) and Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr. (2nd right), the nine Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) members who yielded to the military on Thursday (Oct. 29, 2020). The surrender of the nine BIFF combatants came a week after another batch of nine BIFF radicals also surrendered to the military in the province. (Photo courtesy of 6ID)
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – A new batch of nine combatants of the Islamic State-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) surrendered to military authorities here, the commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) said on Friday.
Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6ID commander, said the nine surrenderers were presented to him, together with Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana and Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., during the culmination program of the 6ID’s 33 anniversary on Thursday afternoon.
The surrenderers brought with them their surrendered firearms comprised of an M4A1 Carbine rifle, a Bushmaster rifle, an HK 416 rifle, an M16 rifle, an M14 rifle, two Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers with ammunition.
“We welcomed them back to the mainstream society with the promise that we would help them regain their normal lives,” Uy said in an interview with reporters.
A certain Kamarudin, one of the surrenderers, said an earlier batch of comrades who yielded to the military have convinced them to try the government’s program for surrendering rebels.
“We are tired and just wanted to return to our lives before as productive citizens,” he said in the vernacular.
Uy said the latest batch of surrenderers belonged to the BIFF Bungos faction operating in 220,000 - hectare marshland in the province.
Last week, nine other BIFF combatants also yielded to the 6ID after realizing that they were fighting for a futile cause.
“Let us not forget that the local government units (LGUs) were instrumental for the series of BIFF surrenderers in the province since 2017,” Uy said as he lauded the LGUs for conducting backdoor dialogues with the BIFF for surrender.
Uy has vowed to continue welcoming back BIFF surrenderers with the help of the LGUs in the province. (PNA)
