Army helicopters drop surrender appeals over Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Soldiers dropped leaflets bearing appeals for remnants of two terror groups to avail of an Army reconciliation program for them during an airborne operation over Maguindanao del Sur province on Tuesday, June 30.

Major Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Wednesday that the information campaign, personally led by the commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, was supported by local government units in Maguindanao del Sur, one of the five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Officials of units of the 601st, 602nd, 603rd and the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigades, all under 6th ID, local executives and Islamic missionaries in the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur in BARMM, and in Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani, all in Region 12, had secured, via dialogues, the surrender, since 2020, of 2,586 members of the allies Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

The now-defunct Dawlah Islamiya and the BIFF were tagged in all deadly bombings in Central Mindanao from 2014 to 2022. While still active, leaders of both groups fomented hatred for non-Muslims, which moderate Muslim preachers detested for being contrary to Islamic teachings espousing religious tolerance and interfaith solidarity among Muslims and non-Muslims.   

The leaflets dropped on Tuesday by teams from the 601st Infantry Brigade, using Air Force helicopters, over the towns in Maguindanao del Sur have infographic messages stating that the military can help reintegrate to mainstream society all remaining members of both terror groups, for them to get reunited with their families.

Also printed on the leaflets are the commitments of the 6th ID and the 601st Infantry Brigade to help restore normalcy in former bastions of the Dawlah Islamiya and the BIFF, where local executives and soldiers are now together implementing peace and security programs meant to boost the productivity of villagers relying on farming and fishing in rivers and swamps connected to Central Mindanao’s 220-hectare Ligawasan Delta as sources of income.

“The 6th Infantry Division is grateful to the local government units, the traditional Moro datus and Islamic religious leaders in Maguindanao del Sur for supporting the June 30 peacebuilding information maneuver of the 601st Infantry Brigade,” Cagara said.

Officials of different battalions under the 601st Infantry Brigade had confirmed having received, several days before, surrender feelers from Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF remnants, signifying their intention to return to the fold of law for them to get reintroduced into the local communities.