Combined units from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were deployed in Datu Piang, Maguindanao after suspected Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) allegedly attacked a local police station and burned a police mobile Thursday evening.

General Gilbert Gapay, AFP Chief of Staff, denounced the attack perpetrated by the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI)-affiliated group which he said was "a clear act of terror."

"Whatever was the motive behind it, we are still investigating jointly with the PNP. But for us, it is a clear act of terror perpetrated by the BIFF," he said in a virtual meeting.

Police Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana, PNP spokesperson, said that personnel from the Special Action Force (SAF) and Regional Mobile Force Battallion (RMFB) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Police Regional Office (PRO-BARMM) were already sent to secure the area following the attack perpetrated by around 50 BIFF insurgents around 11 p.m.

The group is believed to be a splinter of a faction of the BIFF led by one "Commander Karialan" and one "Sala."

An initial report from the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) said the BIFF gunmen stormed the town of Datu Piang where they "overran PNP station and burned PNP patrol car."

Lieutenant Colonel Alaric Delos Santos, WestMinCom spokesperson, said the BIFF suspects initially tried to attack a military installation were troops of the Charlie Company of the Army's 6th Infantry Battallion (6IB) were deployed. However, the BIFF men failed.

"May mga putok na ginawa pero nagretaliate 'yung ating tropa. Noong paatras na sila (BIFF), nadaanan nila 'yung abandoned na patrol car so doon nila binuhos 'yung galit nila and sinunog (Shots were fired but the troops retaliated. When the BIFF were forced to retreat, they passed by an abandoned patrol car, vented their ire on it, and burned it)," Delos Santos said.

Chased by the soldiers, Delos Santos said the BIFF gunmen fired shots turned to the police station and attacked it, as well as the Sta. Teresita Catholic Church which was situated a few meters from each other.

Usana, on the other hand, denied that the local police station in Datu Piang were overran by the BIFF. He said the local police fought back and defended the station when the BIFF attacked the on-duty cops.

"Local police po ang nakasagupa ng mga BIFF members bago po dumating ang reinforcements (The local police fought the BIFF members before the reinforcements came)," Usana told the Manila Bulletin.

He said the PRO-BARMM's regional mobile force battallion and the Philippine Army's 34th Infantry Battallion (34IB) came shortly after local officials and residents sought for assistance. The police and military again battled the BIFF until the suspects were forced to flee for good. The whole encounter lasted for two hours.

Luckily, no casualty was recorded on the side of the government troops and civilians.

Haunted by Marawi siege

Meanwhile, Gapay assured the locals in Maguindanao that the attack in Datu Piang was not an indication of another war as big as the Marawi City siege in 2017. The Marawi siege refers to the takeover of the Maute terrorist group and Abu Sayyaf Group in the Islamic City of Marawi which claimed the lives of thousands of people.

"Even another Marawi siege is highly improbable at this point in time because they have already learned their lessons of Marawi. We can consider that what happened in Datu Piang was an isolated case and it's really far from another Marawi-like incident," he said. 

In Camp Crame, PNP Chief General Debold Sinas said ongoing pursuit operations were beind conducted to possibly arrest the suspects and file the necessary charges against them.

The military and police leadership called for the public's continued vigilance against the threat groups in Maguindanao.