Maguindanao clashes a preview of more violence
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Manila, 29 March 2021 – Recent clashes between military forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) serve as preview of more violence in Maguindanao as the region gears for the 2022 elections while continuing the transition to the Bangsamoro under the helm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), warned International Alert Philippines.
The firefight that began on 18 March in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town was the latest episode involving the military and the BIFF, as monitored by Alert since January through its Critical Events Monitoring System that receives on-the-ground reports from local contacts.
The military claimed it attacked BIFF forces under the command of Kagi Karialan when the BIFF tried to violently thwart the establishment of a Joint Peace and Security Team in Brgy Kitango, Datu Saudi Ampatuan. The BIFF-Karialan faction has escalated its armed attacks in recent months, targeting indigenous groups inc
(Photo courtesy of 34IB)
Lt. Col. Edgardo Vilchez Jr., commanding officer of the 34IB, said Tong Dubpalig, a bomb expert under the Kagi Karialan faction, voluntarily surrendered to them Sunday afternoon with his .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle.
“Aside from being a bombmaker, Dubpalig also works as a sniper for the terror group,” Vilchez told reporters here in an interview Monday.
In a separate interview, Brig. Gen. Roberto Capulong, the 602nd Infantry Brigade commander, said Dubpalig was involved in a series of bombing incidents in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces in recent years.
“The surrenderer was a former follower of the late Mando Mamalumpong, the spokesperson of the BIFF-Karialan faction who was neutralized by government forces in a clash at Midsayap, North Cotabato in 2019,” Capulong said.