BIFF recruiting child warriors in North Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato — Child warriors are being recruited in areas in North Cotabato where there are groups believed to be influenced by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a top military official said yesterday.

Captain Edwin Encinas, chief of the public affairs of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade (602nd IB), accused the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom

Fighters (BIFF) of recruiting children and teenagers to join their group.

Encinas said the BIFF is a militant group believed to be inspired by the ISIS. In North Cotabato, the group is led by a certain Esmael Abdulmalik or Abu Torayfe, he said.

Reports said in Southwest Mindanao, about 200 children and teenagers have been recruited by militant groups.

In North Cotabato, however, there is yet an exact number as to how many were recruits of Torayfe’s BIFF.

“We monitored their recruitment during the first quarter of the year. It is still ongoing,” said Encinas.

“Hindi natin nilulubayan ang grupo ni Torayfe. Also, tuluy-tuloy din ang forum na ginagawa natin para wag mahikayat ang mga kabataan na sumapi sa BIFF (We’re not letting up on Torayfe’s group. Also, we continue holding forums so that the youth will not be encouraged to join the BIFF),” said Encinas.

Last month, the 602nd IB has intensified its military offensives against the BIFF believed hiding in two villages in Carmen, North Cotabato.

The aerial bombardment of these areas where militants were sighted led to the displacement of some 200 families from Barangays Tonganon and Bentangan.

Two days ago, the military overran the camps put up by the BIFF in Tonganon and Bentangan in Carmen, said Encinas.

Torayfe and his group, according to reports, were forced to abandon their lairs after the Army intensified military offensives in the area.