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John Unson - Philstar.com
February 11, 2026 | 7:16pm
The weapons of the 10 terrorists who surrendered on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, are now in the custody of the Army's 10th Infantry Battalion.
Philstar.com / John Unson
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Ten more remnants of the now defunct allies Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters pledged allegiance to the government before local executives and Army officials in Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao del Sur on Tuesday, February 10.
The group first turned in six assault rifles, two launchers for 40 millimeter grenades, two 60 millimeter mortars and improvised explosive devices that can be detonated from a distance using mobile phones before they renounced their membership with both terror groups during a surrender rite at the headquarters of the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Kabinge in Datu Saudi Ampatuan.
The 13 home-made bombs the 10 terrorists turned over to the 90th IB, made of ammonium nitrate and potassium chlorate as blasting charges and packed with metal fragments with jagged edges, were destroyed by an ordnance disposal team from the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade prior to the symbolic event, where each of them promised to help convince their few remaining companions hiding in Maguindanao del Sur to return to the fold of law.
Three from the group, Usman Badruddin, Amil Idyang and Muhaimen Ansar, separately said that they decided to avail of the reconciliation program of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division for violent religious extremists after they have confirmed that more than a thousand Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members who have surrendered to units of 6th ID in the past three years had been reintroduced to mainstream communities, now thriving peacefully with their families.
“We are tired of hiding in far-flung areas. Our having joined these terror groups did not do us any good,” Ansar said in Filipino, in a heavy Maguindanaon accent.
6th ID’s commander, Major Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, and Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu of the 601st Infantry Brigade separately told reporters on Wednesday that the 10 terrorists agreed to surrender through the joint intercession of the local executives in Maguindanao del Sur, among them Datu Saudi Mayor Basir Utto, and officials of the 90th IB led by its commanding officer, Lt. Col. Loqui Marco.
Units of the 6th ID, Utto and his constituent-barangay officials and traditional Moro leaders had worked out, via backchannel dialogues, the surrender in batches of 147 Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members since July 2025.
