A LAW-enforcement team composed of military and police agents captured a senior Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) commander in Cotabato City on Monday night.
Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Armed Forces Public Affairs Office chief, identified the captured bandit leader as Abdulgani Esmael Pagao, the spiritual and financial leader of the bandit group and deputy commander of its “Fourth Division.”
Pagao did not resist arrest when the law enforcers served the arrest warrant issued by Executive Judge Bansawan Z. Ibrahim.
A loaded caliber-.45 Colt 1911A1 pistol and a fragmentation grenade were seized from him.
Pagao was turned over to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for inquest proceedings on Tuesday.
Pagao is the second ranking BIFF leader to be arrested by government forces since the start of law-enforcement operations against the BIFF in February.
Another leader, Commander Bisaya, was killed in a clash with the Army troops in Datu Unsay town on March 29.
Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff, ended the all-out offensive operations against the BIFF at noon on Monday.
However, calibrated law-enforcement actions against the bandits with small unit patrols will continue.
Operations to continue until Kato is captured
CATAPANG, meanwhile, vowed to continue arresting and neutralizing ranking BIFF leaders until the bandit’s overall commander, Ameril Umbra Kato, is arrested.
Catapang aired this in the wake of the neutralization of military units of Commander Bisaya during an encounter in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, on Sunday and the arrest of Pagao on Monday night.
“[The neutralization of these two] shows that the leadership of the BIFF is now on the decline. The next thing we will do is to intensify the manhunt for Kato,” Catapang said in Filipino.
As this developed, Catapang said the military is still tracking down Filipino terror-bomber Basit Usman and hopes to arrest him before the rainy season starts.
Catapang also said the BIFF’s strength has been degraded with the death of 151 BIFF gunmen, the wounding of 65 and capture of 12 others.
Ten soldiers were killed, while another 33 were hurt in the campaign that started in February.
Army commander visits Sixth Infantry Division
THE Army commander, Lt. Gen. Hernando DCA Iriberri, visited the officers and enlisted personnel of the Maguindanao-based Sixth Infantry “Kampilan” Division on Monday.
Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, 6ID spokesman, said Iriberri was given situation updates on the ongoing joint law-enforcement operations of Task Force “Kampilan” against the BIFF.
Iriberri also decorated the military personnel who were wounded in Sunday’s clash with BIFF gunmen.
He also led the inauguration of the new and refurbished facilities of the 6ID—the Kampilan Water Station, the SM Transient Quarter and the Presidential Cottage.
Iriberri also decorated deserving officers and enlisted personnel who risked their lives in the conduct of law-enforcement operations against the BIFF.