By Catherine S Valente
Manila Times
Government forces are working with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to carry out an all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), according to Malacanang.
Citing information from the military, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr on Thursday said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are co-ordinating with MILF units in areas where there are operations against the BIFF.
“They in the MILF are our partners in the peace process and the places where the operations against the BIFF are taking place are covered by the  FAB (Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro) and the CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro),” Coloma added, referring to agreements signed by the government with the MILF after years of peace negotiations.
The all-out offensive against the BIFF came after the BIFF, supposedly a breakaway group of the MILF, attacked several villages in parts of Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces in Mindanao in southern Philippines, displacing thousands of families.Coloma said President Benigno Aquino has reminded the AFP to ensure that the offensive against the BIFF will spare civilians.
“An important element of the military operations is the guidance from the president that such operations won’t cause collateral damage to civilian communities,” he added.The AFP earlier said unit commanders had been reminded to co-ordinate with the PNP to avoid clashes with the MILF.
The “all-out offensive” order came after the January 25 police operation against Malaysian terror suspect Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino cohort, Abdul Basit Usman.
Although Marwan is said to have been killed, the ensuing clash left 44 policemen, 18 MILF fighters and at least five civilians dead.
Ahead of the all-out offensive, the military was advised also on Thursday to carefully plan the assault against the BIFF. Part of such an offensive ordered by AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr on Wednesday, according to Capt.
Joann Petinglay, spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, is the assistance of the MILF in identifying BIFF lairs.
Last year, the group lost almost all of their camps to the military and its forces are believed to be hiding in Liguasan Marsh in the central part of Mindanao and in communities where MILF fighters are found.
Catapang’s order for the all-out offensive, according to Petinglay, would not be automatically carried out because of “constraints” that include identifying exact positions of the BIFF.
She said the military has the names of the BIFF leaders but not of the majority of their armed members who, Petinglay added, could easily mingle with civilians.
The spokesman noted that the terrain would be a big factor in ensuring the success of the all-out offensive since Liguasan is a huge wetland.