Troops pursue BIFF raiders in Cotabato
Combined government troops and militiamen have driven back to the Liguasan Marsh more than a hundred Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) rebels who tried to occupy two villages in Pigkawayan, North Cotabato the other day.
Captain Arvin Incinas, spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division, said pursuit operations are ongoing against the BIFF terrorists who in their escape had occupied an elementary school in Barangay Malagakit, holding a civilian and a number of school children as hostages.
“They (BIFF) just waited for nightfall to leave the school and abandon their hostages used as human shields,” Incinas said.
North Cotabato Vice Gov. Shirlyn Macasarte-Villanueva, a member of the provincial peace and order council, yesterday urged Muslim and Christian residents to disregard obvious attempts to break their solidarity.
“Let us be sober and continue with the friendship and solidarity that
we have. We just have to be vigilant and we need to help each other prevent a repeat of the incident,” Villanueva said.
The BIFF terrorists, led by Abunawas Damiog, Abu Saiden and Salahudin Hassan, destroyed religious statues in a Catholic chapel and robbed abandoned houses and stores in Malagakit. They also ransacked the barangay hall and a nearby health clinic.
Salvador Almonia Jr., barangay Malagakit chairman, led a 30-member barangay volunteer militia in blocking the initial route the terrorists took.
He said the bandits destroyed portraits of President Duterte in the buildings and classrooms they looted.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones reminded everyone that schools and learning spaces are zones of peace and that the security and safety of learners, teachers and nonteaching personnel is a priority during conflict, disaster and emergency.
The Department of Education said that although the extent of the damage has yet to be determined, no learner and personnel were being held hostage as of yesterday.
Classes remain suspended in the area as government troops continue with clearing operations.
Malagakit Elementary School was reportedly damaged while Simsiman High School confirmed that its offices and computer room were ransacked by the terrorists. An on-duty school guard managed to escape to a nearby military detachment after the BIFF fired at him.
A day prior to the simultaneous attack in Barangays Malagakit and Simsiman, the Army acted on intelligence warning of an impending assault and reinforced its ranks to secure the two villages, he added. Both barangays, located along the marsh, were used as staging points for the assault.
“Under cover of darkness, they were able to extricate from the area on board pump boats,” said Capt. Nap Alcarioto, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Brigade.
Alcarioto cited the key role of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in foiling the simultaneous assault launched by 200 to 300 BIFF terrorists on the two villages. He said BPAT, an organized militia force composed mostly of farmers, assisted the soldiers in pushing the attackers back to Liguasan Marsh.