50 Moro terrorists surrender in Mindanao
It's the largest group of terrorists who surrender to the Philippine police.
MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE: Fifty members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) terror group have surrendered in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao del Norte, the largest group of extremists ever to yield through the intercession of the police.
The group turned in assault rifles, grenade launchers, mortar rounds and improvised bomb components before renouncing their BIFF membership in a symbolic ceremony at Bangsamoro police’s headquarters at Camp SK Pendatun in Parang municipality on Friday (May 12), said the police service in a statement.
New Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. and Bangsamoro police chief Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza witnessed the surrender ceremony.
Acorda commended Bangsamoro police and local officials in the different Bangsamoro provinces for having secured the 50 BIFF members' surrender via backchannel initiatives.
Thirteen of them were bombmaking experts, according to a news report.
Two of the bombmakers, who asked to be called only Tasil and Pagal, were quoted as saying that they decided to turn themselves in after learning that those who surrendered before them have returned to their villages and rejoined their families.
No fewer than 200 BIFF members had surrendered since 2019 to Bangsamoro police whose areas of responsibility are the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan, the report said.
The 50 former extremists received from Bangsamoro police initial food packs, hand tractors and water buffaloes to help them venture into rice and corn farming upon returning to society.