COTABATO CITY โ Twenty-five former members of the now-defunct Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have surrendered to the military, turning over firearms and explosives in a ceremony in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, on Friday, December 5.
Major General Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Armyโs 6th Infantry Division (6th ID), confirmed the development on Sunday and said the surrenderers opted to join the divisionโs reconciliation program for violent religious extremists.
Moro local executives and key military officers, including Lieutenant Colonel Anacito Naz of the 92nd Infantry Battalion and Colonel Rommel Pagayon of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, brokered their surrender.
Before publicly renouncing their ties to Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF, the group handed over their explosives and 30 high-powered firearmsโM16 and M14 assault rifles and long-range bolt-action sniper riflesโat the 92nd IB headquarters in Barangay Salbu. Local officials and Islamic preachers who support the Armyโs anti-terror campaign were present during the ceremony.
Two surrenderers, Abdul Oro Mando and Guinaid Tantung Mustapha, said the disarmament complied with the Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program of the 6th ID and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity. The program is part of a broader effort to reduce the circulation of illegal weapons in Central Mindanao and complement the governmentโs peace initiatives with Moro communities.
Four of the surrenderersโHalim Undih Bansing, Modin Anto Morsid, Badruddin Egam Maniri, and Mohammad Andong Katibโwere known bomb-makers. They specialized in assembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using ammonium nitrate or potassium chlorate, rigged with remote detonation mechanisms triggered through mobile phones.
Cagara said mayors in Maguindanao del Sur, including Datu Saudi Ampatuan Mayor Bassir Utto, helped open backchannel talks that eventually convinced the group to yield.
Security officials implicated the Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF in some of the deadliest bombings in Central Mindanao between 2014 and 2018.
Moderate Islamic scholars have rejected their extremist viewsโparticularly the promotion of hostility toward non-Muslims. They argued such teachings violate Islamโs principles of tolerance and interfaith solidarity.
With Fridayโs surrender, the number of BIFF and Dawlah Islamiya members who have yielded to the government since 2021 has climbed to 1,774. They surrendered to units under the 6th ID, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, and the Navyโs 1st Marine Brigade, which also operates in parts of Maguindanao del Norte.
Many former combatants who gave up arms in recent years are now working in plantations, driving passenger vehicles, joining construction crews, or running microenterprises supported by government livelihood assistance.
The 25 men who surrendered on Friday received relief goods and cash aid from local officials to help support their needs as they undergo religious reorientationโseen as a key step toward their reintegration into mainstream society.
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