Gibo accepts surrender of 130 MILF rebels

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte , Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro accepted the formal surrender last Saturday of 130 followers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front under renegade Abdullah Macapaar, a.k.a. “Bravo”, in ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the province held in the municipality of Tubod.

Teodoro thanked Governor Khalid Dimaporo, Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo of the 2nd District, and the military commanders in the area for the surrender of the MILF rebels who operated in the two Lanao provinces.

The returnees were members of the 101st, 302nd, 303rd, and the 5th Base Commands. 

The defense chief said that incessant combat operations conducted by the Philippine Army in Lanao del Norte led to the surrender of the rebels.

“The number 1 problem in the Lanao provinces is peace. We have to hunt down those who undertake criminal activities. But more important, we have to bring them back to the fold of the law. That is our priority,” Teodoro said.

Teodoro reiterated that peace negotiations with the MILF should be anchored on the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration policy of the government.

Without disarmament, Teodoro emphasized, peace will still be fragile since the prevalence of firearms in the area could still lead to atrocities against soldiers and civilians, especially children.

The defense chief exhorted the local executives to initiate the peaceful surrender of other MILF renegade followers so that they can return to the mainstream of society. Government will still keep its open-door policy to resolve conflicts in Lanao del Norte and elsewhere in Mindanao, Teodoro said.

According to Col. Benito Antonio de Leon, commanding officer of the 104th Infantry Brigade, who spearheaded the negotiations for the surrender of the MILF renegades, the leaders of the 130 surrenderees are Kayamura Mangilala alias “Kalayaan”, commander of 1st Battalion, 302nd Base Command, MILF; his sub-unit commander Minalang Mapandi alias “Batman”; Mabaning Andamun Lucsadato alias “Benjie/Protector”, Aliman Barambangan Macapudi alias “Aliman”, and Alih Mamkar Raso alias “Baby Rapid”.

The rebels yielded a total of 72 high-powered firearms to the 104th Infantry Brigade. These included 13 M1 Garand rifles, four M16s, an M203, three cal .30 BARs, five M2 carbine rifles, an M14 rifle, two 40 MM M79s, an Ingram, seven cal. 45 pistols, seven cal. 38 revolvers, five cal. 22 pistols, three RPGs and several other firearms.

Mangilala a.k.a. “Kalayaan” said that his group decided to return to the fold of the law after realizing that the sacrifices they made as part of the MILF had been based on false promises. He claimed that his men had lost their will to fight after continuously evading pursuing government troops in the area, which had greatly affected the living conditions of their families, especially their children. — PR/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)