BIFF Finance Officer Falls in Cotabato City

Camp Siongco, Maguindanao (PNA) — The military’s 6th Infantry Division has announced Tuesday the arrest of an officer of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in his residence in Cotabato City Monday night.

In a statement, Capt. Joann Petinglay, 6th ID spokesperson, identified the arrested BIFF official as Agdulgani Esmael Pagao, alias “Abdulayman Pagao,” the group’s finance officer.

Petinglay said the operation was carried out by the combined elements of 5th Special Forces Battalion, Intelligence Support Group, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, 6th Military Intelligence Group, 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, JSOU1, and Cotabato City Police Office.

Pagao was arrested at Campo Muslim in Barangay Mother Bagua, Cotabato City based on a search warrant issued by Judge Bansawan Z. Ibrahim dated March 30, 2015.

Seized from Pagao was a caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, two loaded magazines, and a fragmentation grenade. He did not resist arrest.

Petinglay said the arrest of Pagao marked another accomplishment of the government through excellent coordination with the different law enforcement agencies.

She said rebel group is expected to weaken as its sources of funds fell to government hands.

Task Force Central, a police-military composed tasked to neutralize lawless elements in Maguindanao, has slowed down its law enforcement operations although it is yet to arrest Filipino bombing expert Abdul Basit Usman and another Malaysian suspected terrorist hiding with him in the marshland. (PNA) RMA/NYP/EOF