Military verifying reports Maute ushering ‘elements’ inside Marawi
By Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral and Kristine Joy V. Patag
Reporters
THE MILITARY on Monday said it is verifying claims that Islamic State (IS)-affiliated militants who attacked Marawi City, provincial capital of Lanao del Sur, are getting reinforcements from nearby areas to augment their “less than 40” fighters in the southern city.
Clashes between government forces and the pro-Islamic State (IS) Maute extremists broke out in Marawi on May 23 — triggering what may be the biggest internal security crisis in the Philippines since the Zamboanga City siege in 2013.
The bloody standoff, which prompted President Rodrigo R. Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao, enters its 84th day today.
In a press conference in Malacañang, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Restituto F. Padilla, Jr. said the military has received information that Maute terrorists are ushering “elements” inside Marawi through the Lanao Lake to back its dwindling forces.
“We did get those information and the information actually made mention that at the height of a heavy rain, there were elements that made their way inside [the city],” Mr. Padilla said, adding that the army is still vetting such reports.
“Unfortunately, we have not confirmed that and we are still checking as of the moment.”
The band of gunmen that overran Marawi was led by Lanao-based Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, who had joined forces with Isnilon Hapilon — leader of the dreaded kidnapping-for-ransom gang Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and IS’s Southeast Asia “emir.”
According to authorities, some of the more than 100 inmates who had escaped a local jail in Marawi during the initial rampage allegedly joined in the fighting.
Mr. Padilla also said the military believes there are “less than 40” Islamist fighters holed up in the besieged city, adding that the remaining terrorists are still capable of inflicting harm.
“They still have arms, they still have adequate ammunition and they still continue to hold hostages. So that’s the compounding factor,” Mr. Padilla said.
Last month, Congress overwhelmingly voted to extend Mr. Duterte’s martial rule in Mindanao until yearend to defeat the band of jihadist fighters that occupied the predominantly Muslim city and to dismantle the terror network in the region.
As of Aug. 13, the number of enemies neutralized by pursuing state forces rose to 562 while civilians killed by the Maute group remained at 45. Meanwhile, 128 troops were slain in the clashes.
Also on Monday, more than 50 suspected members of the Maute group sought the Department of Justice (DoJ) to drop the rebellion complaints against them during a preliminary hearing that day.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter L. Ong led the panel of prosecutors in conducting the second preliminary investigation hearing on the rebellion complaints filed against 58 suspected Maute members and their lone recruiter.
The hearing was mostly held in the vernacular language of Tausug, since some of the arrested said they cannot understand Tagalog.
The suspected Maute members filed their counter-affidavits, also written in Tausug, before the panel of prosecutors.
After the respondents had sworn in their counter-affidavits, parts were read by the prosecutors where the respondents asked the DoJ to dismiss the complaints. They also claimed they were duped into joining the army, but were instead said to have joined the Maute group.
However, their alleged recruiter, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) member Nur Supian, failed to submit his counter-affidavit. He was given until Friday, Aug. 18, to file his at the Special Intensive Care Area of Camp Bagong Diwa, where he and the other suspects are currently detained.
The Supreme Court (SC) had granted Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II’s request to move the trial away from Cagayan de Oro City — currently under martial law due to the fighting in Marawi City — citing threats to the prosecutors’ lives.
Once the case reaches court trial, it will be handled by Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) following the SC’s order.
