COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has owned up to the attacks in Datu Piang, Datu Unsay and Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao, and in President Quirino town in Sultan Kudarat on Thursday.
Abu Misry Mama, spokesman for the BIFF, yesterday announced to various media outfits that they were responsible for the rampage.
Maximo Salamanca was killed while helping militiamen fight off BIFF bandits who attacked their village in Barangay Katiku, President Quirino shortly before dawn Thursday.
Bandits also harassed a farming enclave at the border of President Quirino and S.K. Pendatun two hours later, displacing hundreds of villagers.
Troops under the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) drove away the BIFF bandits after about a nine-hour counter-offensive.
Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman for the 6th ID, said the bandits wanted to infiltrate communities they want to subject to taxation.
Sources from the municipal peace and order council in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat said they were convinced that the attacks were meant to attract the attention of lawmakers conducting multi-sectoral dialogues on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law.
“They want to show that despite the peace agreement called CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro), there can never be peace in Moro areas with them just around,” said one of the sources.