Military Chopper Drops Peace Leaflets Over Maguindanao del Sur

The Philippine military has literally rained down Maguindanao del Sur with calls to embrace peace, using a helicopter to drop leaflets in remote areas to enjoin Islamic State-aligned militants to surrender and for residents to help sustain the relatively stable peace and order condition in the province. As part of its information campaign, the Philippine Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade dropped leaflets on Tuesday across several areas in Maguindanao del Sur in line with the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) efforts to sustain peace and order in the province. Brig. Gen. Edgar L. Catu, 601st Infantry Brigade commander, said the campaign aims to encourage the remaining members of local terrorist groups, including the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Dawlah Islamiyah, to surrender to the government and live in mainstream society. READ: 14 BIFF members surrender, yield 39 firearms in Maguindanao del Sur Yield weapons Catu told reporters that the campaign also calls on individuals in possession of loose or unlicensed firearms to yield their weapons to help prevent violence and allow themselves to begin a new life with their families. Individuals who surrender firearms get a livelihood package based on the number of guns turned over to the government. READ: Civilians surrender 79 loose guns, get livelihood package To aid residents in understanding the message, the leaflets were written in the Maguindanao dialect. Telephone numbers were listed for them to contact the authorities. The leaflets basically informed armed men or groups that government forces are not their enemies, but an institution “helping to improve communities.” Catu recalled the brigade’s previous aerial information dissemination campaign yielded positive results, with a member of a local terrorist group surrendering along with his M16 rifle in Mamasapano town last January 18. The former militant was subsequently allowed to rebuild his life through government reintegration programs, he added. Surrendered firearms On Monday, Lt. Colonel Aeron Gumabao, commanding officer of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion (57IB), presented 79 unlicensed firearms surrendered by civilians and militants in South Upi, also in Maguindanao. So far, the total number of loose firearms surrendered in South Upi town is 170 since January this year, said Gumabao, attributing the positive development to the joint efforts of the security sector and the local government to address the problem of illegal guns. READ: Army, UNDP destroy firearms recovered in Maguindanao provinces Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of Joint Task Force Central and the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division, said the aerial leaflet-dropping campaign is an important component of the division’s efforts to achieve lasting peace in Central Mindanao. He said the initiative provides a peaceful means of conveying the government’s message to armed groups that the military is always ready to assist those who wish to surrender or renounce violence./coa