COTABATO CITY — Five more local terrorists, including two experts in fabrication of improvised explosive devices, surrendered to the Army in Maguindanao del Sur on Monday.
The five gunmen are members of the now decimated Dawlah Islamiya that had a reputation for extorting money from transportation companies and business establishments and tagged in all deadly bombings in Central Mindanao since 2014, along with its ally, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
Both groups are also known for fomenting deep hatred for non-Muslims that members of Mindanao’s Islamic religious community dismiss as sinful and absolutely against their religion’s teachings on tolerance and interfaith solidarity.
Army Major Gen. Donald M. Gumiran, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Wednesday that the five gunmen agreed to surrender through the intercession of Brig. Gen. Edgar L. Catu of the 601st Infantry Brigade, officials of the 90th Infantry Battalion (IB).
The group turned in their improvised explosive devices, an M1 garand rifle, a bolt action 7.62-millimeter sniper rifle, an M16 assault rifle and a 5.56 M4 rifle before they pledged allegiance to the government in the presence of local leaders and Muslim preachers during a symbolic surrender rite at the headquarters of the 90th IB in Baray Kabangay Katugi in Datu Saudi Ampatuan.
The local government unit of Datu Saudi Ampatuan distributed to each of them rice and other relief supplies and cash incentives that they can spend for their initial needs while undergoing religious reorientation by Islamic theologians. — John Felix M. Unson
