BIFF blamed for Cotabato blast


Bomb squad operatives gather evidence from the debris where an improvised bomb exploded at a public market in M’lang, North Cotabato, Southern Philippines on December 31, 2014. The blast occurred between two stalls selling fruits. (EPA)

General Santos City — Police authorities blamed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) for the bombing Wednesday of a public market in M’lang, North Cotabato which left four people dead and more than 30 others injured.

Chief Supt. Lester Camba, Police Regional Office-12 director, said the attack was in retaliation to the arrest of suspected BIFF member Abdulazis Glang in M’lang town last December 30.

Glang, who was allegedly involved in previous bombing incidents in several parts of Central Mindanao, was nabbed by operatives of Regional Special Investigation and Detection Team led by Supt. Maximo Sebastian.

“The arrested suspect is a key BIFF leader whose arrest was considered a big blow to the separatist group,” Camba said.

Camba directed Senior Supt. Roberto Badian, deputy regional director for operations, to supervise the investigation of the incident while Senior Supt. Roque Alcantara, chief of the regional intelligence division, was tasked to conduct pursuit operations against the suspects.

Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, Cotabato provincial police director, said stringent security measures were undertaken in public places around the province following the recent explosion.

“Additional policemen have been deployed in public places to thwart terror attacks,” Peralta said.

Authorities tagged members of the BIFF, a breakaway Moro rebel group, as behind the atrocities in Central Mindanao in an effort to derail the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Government and MILF peace negotiators forged an agreement that will pave the way for the establishment of a Bangsamoro government entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which was widely marred with corruption and irregularities since its inception following the enactment of the Organic Act in 1989.

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