BIFF still inside school in Cotabato, holding 23 hostages: military

June 21, 2017

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have occupied a school after attacking an outpost of a Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in Pigkawayan, Cotabato on Wednesday. The military also received a report the gunmen were holding around 23 civilians, six of whom were children but a top official said the situation is under control. Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP Public Affairs chief,  emphasized that Brig. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, commander of Army’s 6th Infantry Division assured the situation is under control. “The message to us specifically from Gen. Dela Vega, we should not worry the situation is under control and then we hope that we will be able to conclude this the soonest time possible,” Arevalo said in a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo. Arevalo did not say how many BIFF members were involved in the attack but he mentioned, according to Dela Vega, they are “a little over a hundred” including private armed groups. “They attempted to harass a CAFGU ( Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit) detachment or a BPAT manned by CAFGU. They were repulsed and on their way to escape they ran towards the school, where they hold in, and they are still there,” said Arevalo. Arevalo said the military contained the bandit group within the school area. “The skirmishes are still ongoing because they withdrew towards the school but what we can say is that the incident is already contained. They are there. There is an ongoing fire fight because they are resisting our personnel who addressing the incident,” he said. Captain Nap Alcarioto, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Brigade, said they also got a report the bandits were holding around 23 civilians, including six children. Alcarioto said one CAFGU member sustained a gunshot wound on his shoulder during the attack on their detachment in Simsiman.. Arevalo said the attack in Cotabato does not have any relation to the rebellion in Marawi City. “This is not in any way related to the on-going operation against the rebellion in Marawi but this is an effort for them to establish that they are still a force to reckon with,” he said. The bandits harassed the BPAT outpost in Brgy Malagakit and CAFGU detachment in Brgy. Simsiman both in Pigkawayan around 6 am Wednesday. (Robina Asido/DMS)