Army Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu inspects the 40 millimeter grenade launcher turned over to him by the leader of the eight members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters during their surrender on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (John Unson Photo)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Eight Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) bomb makers in the southern Philippines laid down their weapons this week, offering the latest sign of the continuing collapse of a militant organization that for years sowed fear across parts of Mindanao.
The men, all former followers of Esmael Abubakar, better known by the alias “Bongos,” surrendered Thursday to the Philippine Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur. Before pledging allegiance to the government, they turned over an assortment of weapons, including 40-millimeter grenade launchers, B40 rocket launchers and improvised explosive devices.
Authorities killed Abubakar, a senior leader of the now-defunct BIFF, in a July 5 gunfight while serving multiple arrest warrants at his hideout in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte. Less than a month later, the surrender followed.
The surrender marks another setback for what remains of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters after the death of its leader earlier this month. Military officials say the defections weaken the group’s bomb-making capability and extortion network while advancing government efforts to dismantle the once-active extremist organization through a combination of law enforcement operations and reintegration programs for former militants.
Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the eight men agreed to join the military’s reconciliation program through the efforts of the 90th Infantry Battalion, the 601st Infantry Brigade and local government officials in Maguindanao del Sur.
Military officials said local executives and traditional Moro leaders had helped persuade the former militants to surrender and return to civilian life.
Officials in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak, Datu Unsay, and Datu Salibo emphasized that all eight men had extensive experience assembling powerful improvised explosive devices, which they could remotely detonate using mobile phones. They stressed that this expertise made the surrender particularly significant for regional security.
Two of the former fighters, identified as Hamodi Salik Anding and Monib Nasser Gundam, admitted participating in the group’s extortion operations. They said they had collected “protection money” from Muslim and Christian business owners under threats that establishments would be bombed if payments were withheld, acting on orders from BIFF leaders who have themselves surrendered in recent months.
Cagara said representatives from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region’s social services and public safety ministries, together with local government officials, provided the former militants with food, essential supplies and financial assistance to help them reunite with their families and begin rebuilding their lives.
The Army said it expects additional former BIFF members to surrender as government forces continue security operations alongside community-based reintegration efforts across Central Mindanao.
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