BANGSAMORO

ISLAMIC FREDOM
FIGHTER
BIFF FLAG
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters

The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), also known as the

Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement,[3] is an Islamist militant
organization based in Mindanao, the Philippines. They are a smaller
player in the overall Moro insurgency in the Philippines and are
mostly active in Maguindanao and other places in central
Mindanao. It is a breakaway group from the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front founded by Ameril Umbra Kato.
 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
Leader(s) Ismael Abubakar[1]
Dates of operation 2008Present
Motives Moro secessionist
Active region(s)Mindanao
Ideology Salafi jihadism
Status Active
Size 140160 members (July 2016)[2]
 Kato broke with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2008
because he disagreed with the MILF's acceptance of autonomy
rather than full independence.In 2008, after the Philippine Supreme
Court nullified the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral
Domain signed by the Philippine government and the MILF, Kato led
a contingent of MILF fighters in an attack against civilians.[6] In
December 2010, Kato formed the BIFF. He claimed to have 5,000
fighters but the government said that he had only 300. It wasn't until
August 2011 that the MILF recognized the break and declared the
BIFF a "lost command".
 The BIFF rejected the 2012 Framework Agreement on the
Bangsamoro, a preliminary peace agreement signed between the
Government of the Philippines and the MILF, and vowed to
continue their fight. In January 2014, after the final annexes of the
Framework Agreement were signed, the Armed Forces of the
Philippines launched Operation Darkhorse against the BIFF. The army
captured the BIFF's main camp in Barangay Ganta, Shariff Saydona
Mustapha, Maguindanao which reportedly had 500 fighters
 On February 4, 2014, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
commander Habib Mujahab Hashim confirmed reports that the BIFF
had forged an alliance with his group.

Along with the MILF, on January 25, 2015, the BIFF was involved in the
2015 Mamasapano clash, leading to the deaths of 44 members of SAF,
18 from MILF and 5 from the BIFF. Following the event, the group
engaged in some clashes against the AFP, prompting AFP Chief of Staff
Gregorio Pio Catapang to announce in late February 2015 an all-out
offensive against the BIFF. The offensive resulted in more than 100
casualties in the BIFF. They also suffered a split when a commander
Tambako, formed the Justice for Islamic Movement to protect the
foreign militants hiding in BIFF controlled areas. He was captured in
General Santos City trying to escape the law.
 After founder Ameril Umbra Kato's death, BIFF's former vice-chairman for
political affairs, Ismael Abubakar alias "Bongos," took over leadership of
the group.[1] Among the first moves of BIFF under Abubakar was the
bombing of an outpost of the Philippine Army and two different
detachments of the Special Action Force (SAF) in Maguindanao on April
19, 201
LEADERSHIP

There is little information regarding the BIFFs leadership structure.

Abdul Basit Usman (Unknown to 2015): Usman was a BIFF member

and bombmaking expert who led a special operations division
within the BIFF. He was a member of the MILF before breaking away
from the group with Kato, who founded the BIFF. Usman had links to
the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), and he
was one of the most wanted individuals in the Philippines. He was
killed in May 2015, allegedly by bodyguards who wanted to collect
a bounty from the U.S. government.
 Ameril Umbra Kato (2010 to 2011): Kato was the BIFFs founder and first
leader. He established the BIFF in December 2010 after leaving the MILF.
In November 2011, Kato suffered a severe stroke; he went into hiding and
remained paralyzed until his death in April 2015.[46]
Mohammad Ali Tambako (2011 to Unknown): Tambako was appointed
as the BIFFs leader after Kato suffered a severe stroke in November
2011. Tambako left or was expelled from the BIFF in 2013 after leading
some supporters in an attack on the Christian population of the city of
Midsayap, during which his forces decapitated a farmer. He then
established another militant group called the Justice for Islamic
Movement (JIM). However, Tambako retained some influence over the
BIFF and may have rejoined the group a short time afterward; the BIFF
and the JIM have reportedly worked together. Government forces
arrested Tambako on March 15, 2015. [47]
Ismael Abubakar (2015 to Present): Abubakar, also known as Kumander
Bungos, is the BIFFs appointed leader. He served as the BIFFs chief of
political affairs before being chosen to head the BIFF upon Katos death
in April 2015
IDEOLOGY & GOALS

Islamist
Separatist
The BIFF seeks to establish an independent Islamic state in the
southern Philippines for the Filipino Muslim minority, known as the
Moro people. The BIFF was formed as a splinter group of the MILF in
response to the latters acceptance of an autonomy arrangement
rather than full independence during negotiations with the
government. Kato, the BIFFs founder, espoused an extreme
version of Islam and admired Wahhabism.
SIZE ESTIMATES
2010: 300 (Combating Terrorism Center)[50]
DESIGNATED/LISTED
The BIFF is not designated as a terrorist organization by the United
States or the European Union.
RESOURCES

Kato took many weapons from the MILFs 105th Base Command,
the MILFs biggest and most well-armed field division, when he
broke from the organization in December 2010. Consequently, the
BIFF possesses a large stockpile of pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles,
improvised explosive devices, landmines, and more.

According to the Philippine military, the BIFF funds itself through

extortion. The BIFF itself has claimed that it receives money and food
donations from politicians, businessmen, and community members,
describing these donations as charity.