(Eagle News) — Authorities on Friday downplayed the direct threats the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters made against President Rodrigo Duterte, with the military saying they were made out of sheer “desperation.”
“The pronouncement of the BIFF was (out of desperation). What happened in Pigcawayan recently was in retaliation for and somehow a diversionary attack resulting from major setbacks they have been experiencing in Mindanao,” Brigadier General Gilbert Gapay, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Eastern Mindanao martial law spokesperson, explained during the Mindanao Hour briefing.
Gapay was referring to Wednesday’s incident in the town in North Cotabato that saw around 100 members of the BIFF attacking a local outpost, and then a school in two barangays.
After a daylong assault by government security forces, the gunmen escaped, leaving 31 hostages in the school safe and unharmed.
Gapay said this was not before they destroyed classrooms, wrote threatening messages against President Duterte on blackboards and walls, and defaced pictures of him in the area.
One member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical unit was killed in the BIFF attack that took place as government security forces were closing in on members of the local terrorist groups Maute and Abu Sayyaf in Marawi.
The military has said, however, that the two attacks were unrelated.
No capabilities
“These are desperate moves and actions by the BIFF. They were expecting a big result out of that attack because almost 100 of them attacked. They were expecting a result in furtherance of what they want(ed) to achieve but it turned out to be otherwise,” Gapay said.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said “based on results,” he did not believe that the BIFF had the capability to carry out its threats against the President.
“We need to go back to the narrative. There is no ground support for them. Local Muslim communities do not want this..We need to go back to the fact that these are isolated groups that are brilliant at media manipulation but do not have the necessary support on the ground,” Abella said.
Gapay said security measures remained in place to ensure the safety of Duterte.
“Based on reports from the Joint Task Force Central, the BIFF during our pursuit operations went back to their stronghold in Maguindanao. They are contained again. Security measures are in place to ensure they will not spill over,” he said.
