By JIGGER J. JERUSALEM
Correspondent

AUTHORITIES arrested 40 armed men, believed to be members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (Biaf), in a village in Talakag, Bukidnon, Monday afternoon. But a group, supposedly from the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp), came and took the suspects under its custody.

Police said the alleged MILF members were all male who were on board a truck when flagged down by law enforcers in Barangay Tikalaan, Talakag at about 3:11 pm, Feb. 24.

Capt. Dominador Orate, Talakag police chief, said the men did not resist when stopped by a team of police officers manning a checkpoint in Tikalaan.

“Seeing a truckload of men raised suspicion as it is a rare sight here. So, we flagged down the truck and inspected them one by one,” Orate told reporters Tuesday morning.

Orate added, “there was no resistance from the men. In fact, they identified themselves as MILF members.”

He said the group claims to belong to the Front’s 118 Von Bashier Unit under the Abdulbasser Sulaiman Tahir Base Commander in Camp Badar Talangan, Maguindanao.

All are said to have come from Midtimbang, Maguindanao, police said.

Seized from the group’s possession were a M-14 rifle, a grenade, a M-14 bandolier, six magazine clips containing ammunition for the M-14 rifle, a two-way hand-held radio, 50 bullets, and assorted identification cards, police said.

Based on several ID cards taken from the group, some are with the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (Biaf).

For instance, the card belonging to one Tatokan Munting shows he is with the Biaf’s Camp Bad’r headquarters. His ID card is set to expire this year.

Another card identified as Ibrahim Nabadtog as a “mujahid” (fighter) of the Biaf’s Camp Abubakar al Siddique.

Orate said the group was on its way to a MILF camp in Sitio Libertad, Barangay Dominorog, Talakag when they were intercepted by the police.

Late Monday night, officials from the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) came and negotiated for the turn over of the men to the agency, Orate said.

Although Orate did not name the Opapp officials who visited them, he said they are from government coordinating committee on cessation of hostilities.

During the interview, Orate also did not mention where the group was taken by the Opapp.

He said the Talakag police is in custody of the firearms, ammunition and other items that were seized.

“It is up to the Opapp if appropriate charges will be filed against those responsible for bringing the firearms and ammunition,” Orate said.