Thread: Philippines President Duterte declares martial law on Mindanao island

Ex-Marawi mayor arrested for rebellion

ILIGAN CITY: The former mayor of battle-ravaged Marawi City in Lanao del Sur was arrested Wednesday evening at a police checkpoint in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental, two days after an arrest order was issued against him and more than 180 others for rebellion.

Fahad “Pre” Salic is among 184 individuals charged for violating Article 134 of the Revised Penal Code pertaining to rebellion, under Arrest Order 2 issued on June 5 by the Department of National Defense pursuant to Proclamation 216 that placed the who orities said.

Also charged was his brother, Omar Ali Solitario, likewise a former mayor of Marawi City, the PDP-Laban provincial chairman, and a commander of the Moro National Liberation Front. He remains at large.

Supt. Lemuel Gonda, spokesman of the Northern Mindanao regional police office, said operatives arrested Salic at around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in San Martin village.

Salic was aboard a white Ford Ranger pick-up truck with plate number AFA 1151. He was en route to Cagayan de Oro City when he was flagged by members of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Public Safety Company.

The ex-mayor immediately denied involvement in the May 22 attack on Marawi by the Islamic State (IS)-linked Maute terrorist group. He was temporarily locked up at Villanueva town jail.

Salic is related to the Maute terrorist leaders, brothers Omar and Abdullah, who lead the so-called IS Ranao. Salic’s wife, Rasmia, is a niece of Farhana Romato Maute, mother of the radical siblings.

Salic was previously married to actress-turned-politician Alma Moreno. The former mayor ran for governor of Lanao del Sur under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP-Laban last year, but lost.
Solitario also attempted to get back the post of mayor but lost.

In December, the two former mayors were said to have acted as government missionaries to the Maute bandits who took over Butig, Lanao del Sur, for ceasefire talks. They were also said to be among a group of influential relatives of the Mautes who met with President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City in November last year on the latter’s invitation.

Duterte had tagged the two as among “narco-politicians” in the province.

On Tuesday, authorities arrested Cayamora Maute, father of Omar and Abdullah, along with his third wife Kongan Alfonso Balawag and two other family members in Davao City, all indicted under Arrest Order 2.

Ex-Marawi mayor arrested for rebellion - The Manila Times Online

I've a friend who has just returned from Mindanao. She stayed there for ~4 wks and was there when Martial Law was declared in Mindanao. She dislikes the treatment given by the media, since it's all sensationalized. She said that what's happening in Marawi is isolated and the rest of Mindanao is still relatively peaceful. Marawi is a small dot in the whole of Mindanao.

However, she also said that many ppl still bear scars from the Marcos era Martial Law. Many of them, ppl in their 20s to 40s, are scared of the govt bcos they know of someone (family, friends) who were kidnapped or disappeared (and presumed dead) during the past ML.

Some Pinoys view the 70s-80s as an idyllic time bcos there were low crime rates. Reason for tgat is bcos the ppl were too afraid to do bad. The atrocities were commited by police or army. There was a curfew at night and meetings of >3 ppl at night were prohibited, lest they be accused of plotting against the govt.

There is a saying which goes something like, if you are far away from an event its news, if you are there it is sociology.

And virtually all the people they're killing, wounding, taking hostage and displacing are Muslims.

Kind of like American blacks rioting and looting and burning down their own neighborhoods.

Go figure........

Loads of things for Filipinos to contemplate as we celebrate our 119th independence day anniversary, while Mindanao is under ML.

MANILA - At least 13 government troops died while 51 others were wounded Friday evening in offensives against Islamic State-linked terrorists in Marawi City, military sources said Saturday.

Originally Posted by misskit

Philippines Asks Social Media to Remove Militant Video

MANILA —
Philippine military officials said Wednesday that they've asked social media companies including Facebook to remove a video of militants smashing icons in a Catholic church in a besieged southern city, saying it may be an attempt to fan hatred and turn the conflict into a religious war.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, the military spokesman, also urged netizens not to share the video, which shows militants ripping a picture of Pope Francis, toppling a crucifix, and stomping on and torching religious statues.

Militants aligned with the Islamic State group continue to control pockets of territory in Marawi, where they laid siege more than two weeks ago. They are believed to be still holding a Catholic priest and many other hostages.

"We requested that this be pulled out because it may fan hatred," Padilla told reporters. "It is intended by these militants to ... sow hatred among Christians and Muslims."


He urged social media users not to spread the video and not to "buy into the plan of these groups to inflame the feelings" of followers of various religions in the predominantly Catholic country.

"This is not a religious war, this is a terror attack on the city of Marawi, and we must be clear about it," Padilla said.

He said those killed since the fighting broke out on May 23 include 20 civilians, 134 militants and 39 government troops. More than 1,500 civilians have been rescued.

The militants' "world is continuously growing smaller and smaller every day," Padilla said.

Police and military operatives arrested several suspected militants Tuesday outside of Marawi.

Those arrested include Cayamora Maute, the father of three brothers who are among leaders of the Marawi siege and who himself is wanted by authorities. He, his second wife, a daughter, a son-in-law and a driver were apprehended at a checkpoint in southern Davao City, officials said.

Security forces also arrested suspected militant Kamarudin Butocan Raquiab in a raid o
n his safe house in southern Maguindanao province's Odin Sinsuat town, where an IS flag, assorted firearms and four improvised bombs were found.

https://www.voanews.com/a/philippine...o/3890263.html

Military vows ‘free’ Marawi by June 12

The Armed Forces of the Philippines vowed on Friday to “liberate” Marawi City from ramnants of the IS-affiliated Maute terror group ahead of the country’s commemoration of Independence Day on Monday, The Manila Times Online reported on Saturday.

AFP spokesman Brig-Gen Restituto Padilla Jr told a news conference in the Malacdanang that the military was hoping to raise the Philippine flag on every corner of Marawi City on June 12 Independence Day to symbolize the unified stand against the IS-linked militants.

The AFP earlier missed deadlines it had set to clear the city of the militants, citing several challenges that have prevented the security forces from reclaiming the once vibrant Islamic city. Among the difficulties troops face was the use of human shield by the militants.

The military on Friday asked Facebook to close dozens of accounts linked to the Islamist terrorists, saying they were being used for propaganda.

Military spokesman Lt-Col Jo-ar Hererra said the armed forces’ social media unit uncovered 63 Facebook accounts belong to the jihadists and their supporters.

He said the military had asked Facebook to conduct necessary measures to take down the fake accounts.

Military vows to liberate Marawi City on Independence Day June 12 - Thai PBS English News

US Special Forces Helping Philippines Fight Militants in Marawi

MANILA —
U.S. special forces are helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to end a siege of the southern town of Marawi by militants allied to Islamic State, a U.S. embassy spokesperson in Manila told Reuters Saturday.

The seizure of Marawi by hundreds of fighters who have sworn allegiance to Islamic State, including dozens from neighboring countries and the Middle East, has fueled concern that the ultra-radical group is gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia.

“At the request of the government of the Philippines, U.S. special operations forces are assisting the AFP with ongoing operations in Marawi that help AFP commanders on the ground in their fight against Maute and ASG militants,” the spokesperson said. ASG stands for the Abu Sayyaf militant group.

The Philippine military Saturday confirmed that U.S special forces were assisting local troops to end a siege of the southern town of Marawi by militants allied to Islamic State, but said they were only providing technical support.

“They are not fighting. They are just providing technical support,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told a news conference.

No evidence of troops on ground

Until now there had been no confirmation that the Philippines had sought U.S. assistance in the battle for Marawi City on the island of Mindanao, which is in its third week.

The spokesperson gave no details of the U.S. involvement. A U.S. P3 Orion surveillance plane was seen flying over the town Friday, but there has been no evidence that the United States has put troops on the ground there.

The assistance comes after months of strain between the two long-time allies that was stoked by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s hostility towards Washington and his pledges to throw U.S. troops out of the country.

Special forces deployed in 2002

Washington deployed special forces soldiers to Mindanao in 2002 to train and advise Philippine units fighting Abu Sayyaf militants in a program that once involved 1,200 Americans.

It was discontinued in 2015 but a small presence remained for logistics and technical support.

The United States and the Philippines have been allies for decades. Their relationship provided Washington with a strategic foothold in Asia, and offered Manila a shield against China’s assertiveness in the region.

But Duterte has openly scorned the alliance, seeing it as an obstacle to a rapprochement with China, and has repeatedly lambasted Washington for treating his country as a lackey.

https://www.voanews.com/a/embassy-us...i/3894841.html

Duterte Says Didn't Seek US Support in Marawi

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PHILIPPINES —
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he did not seek support from Washington to end the siege of a southern Philippines town by Islamist militants, a day after the United States said it was providing assistance at the request of the government.

Duterte told a news conference in Cagayan de Oro City, about 100 km (62 miles) from the besieged town of Marawi, that he had "never approached America" for help.

When asked about U.S. support to fight the pro-Islamic State militants in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao, Duterte said he was "not aware of that until they arrived."

The cooperation between the longtime allies in the battle is significant because Duterte, who came to power a year ago, has taken a hostile stance towards Washington and has vowed to eject U.S. military trainers and advisers from his country.

It is unclear whether the pro-American military went over Duterte's head in seeking U.S. help.

more https://www.voanews.com/a/duterte-us...i/3895688.html

Originally Posted by misskit

It is unclear whether the pro-American military went over Duterte's head in seeking U.S. help.

...the US military is "over his head"? I think it's more likely that he's avoiding humiliation in a tRumpian fashion: can't be runner-up in a hometown big-dick competition...

Originally Posted by misskit

Duterte Says Didn't Seek US Support in Marawi

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PHILIPPINES —
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he did not seek support from Washington to end the siege of a southern Philippines town by Islamist militants, a day after the United States said it was providing assistance at the request of the government.

Duterte told a news conference in Cagayan de Oro City, about 100 km (62 miles) from the besieged town of Marawi, that he had "never approached America" for help.

When asked about U.S. support to fight the pro-Islamic State militants in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao, Duterte said he was "not aware of that until they arrived."

The cooperation between the longtime allies in the battle is significant because Duterte, who came to power a year ago, has taken a hostile stance towards Washington and has vowed to eject U.S. military trainers and advisers from his country.

It is unclear whether the pro-American military went over Duterte's head in seeking U.S. help.

more https://www.voanews.com/a/duterte-us...i/3895688.html

This is fascinating. Clearly this seems to corroborate what GracelessFawn said but is it really possible some group in the AFP can arrange for US advisers to arrive in the Phillipines without Dutertes say-so? What does this say about US - Phillipines relations or, indeed, AFP - Duterte relations?

^Rubbish. These are the drone guys from the long-time base in Mindanao. Duterte's full of shit.

This just in:

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Duterte's full of shit.

Philippine Official: 100 Bodies May Still Be in Combat Areas

MARAWI, PHILIPPINES —
About 100 bodies of civilians and Islamic militants remain uncollected in the rubble of a southern Philippine city because of continuing fighting between troops and gunmen aligned with the Islamic State group, an official said Thursday.

Provincial government crisis committee spokesman Zia Alonto Adiong said the estimate was based on accounts by residents who have escaped from areas of Marawi city that are still mired in clashes, and aid volunteers who entered a combat zone during a four-day lull in the fighting last week.

Retrieval teams have been organized, although it remains unclear when the siege by the remaining militants, estimated to number more than 100, can be quelled by troops, Adiong said. The stench of death has been reported by witnesses in still-inaccessible areas since militants launched their attack on May 23.

“We need to expect the worst and to be ready to transition from a crisis mode to a recovery mode,” Adiong told The Associated Press by telephone.

The violence in the lakeside city has left 202 gunmen, 58 soldiers and policemen and 26 civilians dead, officials say. The most serious attack in Southeast Asia so far by IS-aligned militants has displaced most of the more than 200,000 residents of Marawi, the bastion of Islamic faith in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Many of the militants reportedly killed in the clashes have not been recovered.

While the remaining gunmen have been isolated in four areas, sporadic gunfire has been reported in other places.

An Australian journalist was hit by a bullet in his neck on Thursday while covering the Marawi crisis. ABC journalist Adam Harvey, who was wearing a neck brace, told reporters he was fine as he walked out of a hospital.

Harvey, ABC's Jakarta-based Southeast Asia correspondent, was hit at a provincial government compound in Marawi while interviewing children from families displaced by the fighting. The sprawling compound near an army brigade has served as a venue for daily news conferences by government and military officials and is regarded as a relatively safe area.

“Thanks everyone - I'm okay. Bullet is still in my neck, but it missed everything important,” Harvey tweeted.

Also Thursday, a suspected militant bomber was arrested in Cagayan de Oro City, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Marawi, according to police.

More than 1,600 residents have been rescued from areas of heavy fighting in Marawi, many of them still shell-shocked and hungry and some wounded. Tales of love and heroism have emerged, including a group of trapped Muslim policemen who helped several Christian workers escape with them from the intense fighting.

Villager Saipoding Mariga waited in tear for days to be allowed to rescue his wife, Geraldine, who was trapped in a heavily bombarded neighborhood, but was not allowed by troops because of the grave danger. Facing TV cameras, he pleaded to be allowed to enter the conflict zone to save his wife.

Mariga eventually met his wife in a tearful reunion at Marawi's newly reopened Amai Pakpak hospital, where she was brought with a gunshot wound in her leg and shrapnel injuries on her body, the ABS-CBN TV network reported Thursday.

“What's important is you recognize me and we saw each other again,” Mariga told his wounded wife at the hospital's emergency ward.

https://www.voanews.com/a/philippine...s/3901798.html

Originally Posted by misskit

Military vows ‘free’ Marawi by June 12

Another case of mad vows disease.

^Yep. It's a major street brawl. Not ending soon, I fear.

Flags in PI gov't offices are raised half-mast to salute the military forces that died in Marawi. We are celebrating PI independence day this month. Its a sad reminder of war and the cost of freedom.

I wonder what happens when IS discovers that Thai Muslims are in much the same position as their Mindinao brethren: second-class citizens ruled by corrupt non-Muslims...it shouldn't take long...

Military links Maute to Moro insurgents

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) found strong links between the Maute terrorists and insurgents in Mindanao, the AFP spokesman said on Monday.

This was after President Rodrigo Duterte over the weekend revealed that the Maute may have acquired its huge stockpile of weapons from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

In a news conference in Malacañang, AFP spokesman Restituto Padilla Jr. said the Islamic State-linked Maute terrorists could have obtained their weapons from relatives who were members of the two rebel groups.

“These firearms have been there in Marawi a long time ago. Some of the members of the Maute group may have relatives in other groups or armed groups,” Padilla told reporters.

“There are so many armed groups in Mindanao that could potentially be a source of firearms for this group,” he added.

A total of 250 firearms have been recovered by the military from the Maute fighters.

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesman of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said the Maute terrorists could be copying the tactics initiated by the Islamic State, given their significant firepower.

“Just look at how they use anti-tank weapons against a tank or [armored army trucks]. They are using 90-RR (M67 recoilless rifle) and they are also using a mortar and these are strong weapons,” Herrera said.

“They also optimize [the use of]technology. They are using the social media, radios. From what we recovered from them, they have been using different war materials,” he added.

‘Seize loose firearms during martial law’

Padilla said illegal firearms held by private armed groups in Mindanao should be seized by the government during the martial law period declared by the President last May 23 after the Maute group attacked Marawi City.

“This is a cause for concern that has been there since a long time ago and has been addressed many times over but unsuccessfully. And we hope that during this period of martial law, we can successfully cover this and get rid or confiscate all these loose firearms,” he said.

Defense Secretary Lorenzana likewise said a lot of “loose firearms” have been circulating in Mindanao.
“Since the time of Marcos there has always been a lot of loose firearms circulating in Mindanao especially in Lanao, Maguindanao, Basilan and Sulu,” the head of the Department of National Defense told The Manila Times.

However, the Maute group may have also acquired arms from a foreign source, or from encounters with the military and the police.

“The Mautes had a lot of money from their legal [businesses]and illegal [drugs]as a source of funds to procure these guns and arm their private army,” Lorenzana said.

Asked if the Armed Forces would go after the Moro rebels, Lorenzana replied: “Not anymore because we have ongoing peace talks.”

Speaking to reporters after visiting the Army’s 401st Brigade in Butuan City on Saturday, Duterte said that the government knew that the Maute terrorists were stockpiling firearms and ammunition in Marawi City but took it for granted because of the peace negotiations with the MILF and MNLF.

“It was not a question of failure on the part of government. It was not a failure of intelligence. It is because we have adopted a very soft policy toward the rebels,” Duterte said.

The MILF, a splinter group of the MNLF, and the Duterte administration are in talks for a Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao.

Padilla was confident the President’s latest revelation would not affect the peace negotiations with the Moro rebels.

Both the MILF and MNLF have offered to help government troops fight the Maute group. Duterte and the MILF earlier agreed to establish a “peace corridor” to help rescue civilians affected by the fighting in Marawi, which entered its 28th day on Monday.

Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said 26 civilians, 62 government men, and 250 terrorists have been killed amid fighting in Marawi. A total of 1,637 civilians have been rescued by authorities.

He said the military’s clearing operations continue to yield “positive results,” noting that only portions of four out of 96 villages in the besieged city “remain problematic areas.”

“Enemy resistance continues to wane and enemy-held areas continue to diminish as government security forces press its advance,” Abella said.

“Troops continue to get deeper into once enemy-held positions as evidenced by the recovery of cadavers of terrorists and their firearms, computers and peripherals, as well as communications equipment and accessories,” he added.

Abella also reported that security forces seized at least 11 kilos of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu, from a dismantled Maute hideout in Marawi City (see story on A2).

‘No participation’

Herrera also clarified that the United States Armed Forces have no participation in the ongoing offensive in Marawi City against the Maute group, except for technical assistance.

He noted that the Philippines and the US have a mutual defense pact in 1951, and this could be the reason why the Americans were providing help to the country amid the ongoing clashes, despite President Duterte’s tirades against the US.

“They are like international journalists who are present everywhere [in the country]and as I have said, we have an agreement [with them]and with our operations, [but]they (US military) have no participation,” Herrera said.

Military links Maute to Moro insurgents - The Manila Times Online

Originally Posted by katie23

Marawi is a small dot in the whole of Mindanao

Raqqa was a small dot in the whole of Syria...

Duterte warns of civil war in Mindanao if Christians take up arms

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday warned civil war could erupt in Mindanao if Christians started taking up arms against Islamist fighters, but said the government would prevent such armed confrontation from happening.

In remarks during a visit to wounded soldiers at the Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, Duterte said he feared that Christians in Mindanao might take matters into their own hands amid the spread of Islamic State (IS)-linked terrorists under the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups.

“It will be trouble if Christians in Mindanao take up arms,” Duterte said.

Unlike Moro rebels, the Abu Sayyaf and Maute terrorists only wanted to kill and destroy property, he said.

“Just like in the Middle East…all killings and destruction. That’s the only thing they know,” he said in Filipino.
The government, however, will prevent civil war from erupting, the President said.

“We can’t allow that because if civilians take up arms, it will be a civil war. So we have two jobs: How to hold the Christians with arms, and this IS-linked Maute,” he added.

This, he said, was the reason the government is committed to hasten the peace process with the Moro groups, particularly the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Our hope is to hasten the peace talks,” the President said.

Duterte on May 23 placed Mindanao under martial law following the Maute attack on Marawi City. Fighting has so far left over 300 dead: 258 terrorists, 65 government troops and 26 civilians.

A total of 1,637 civilians have been rescued by government forces and civil society and nongovernment organizations.

At least 16 buildings previously occupied by the Maute group were recently cleared by government security forces in Marawi City, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported on Tuesday.

However, 4 barangay (villages) remain “problematic areas” in the city.

“We are getting near and as each day goes, we are getting closer to totally liberating Marawi because we are continually working to degrade the capacity of the enemy to hold on to their spaces and at the same time sustain their fight,” AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. told reporters.

‘Marawi won’t be IS hub’

Malacañang on Tuesday also sought to allay fears that Marawi City would become a new hub for Islamist fighters in Southeast Asia.

Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella issued the statement after US Sen. Joni Ernst expressed alarm over the growing presence of IS fighters in Mindanao.

“It’s unlikely for Marawi to become a new hub for IS fighters,” Abella told reporters in a news conference.
“The Philippine military has already pre-empted the Maute group from establishing a wilayah or province in Marawi,” he added.

A report quoted Senator Ernst as saying the US government wanted a bigger role in the Philippine military’s operations in Marawi City as it feared the area was becoming a new IS hub in the region.

“I don’t know that [IS] are directing operations there but they are certainly trying to get fighters into that region,” Ernst was quoted as saying. “We need to address the situation. It should not get out of control.”

Abella said the US should provide only “technical assistance,” noting that the Constitution prohibits foreign troops from participating directly in combat operations.

“The role of the US in relation to IS is to provide technical assistance as prescribed by the Constitution and we will abide by that,” he said.

We can?t allow civil war ? Duterte - The Manila Times Online

Exchange of gunshots in Brooke's Point area yesterday.... four bombs exploded... happened close to an elementary school.... made it to the local radio news.... nothing said on national news.

Philippines: Top militant hiding in war-torn city



Men identified by Philippines Intelligence officers as Isnilon Hapilon (2nd left, yellow headscarf) and Abdullah Maute (2nd right, standing, long hair) are seen in this still image taken from video released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on June 7, 2017. (Reuters photo)

MANILA — The Philippines’ defence chief said Monday that Isnilon Hapilon, the militant leader of the group that laid siege to a southern city, is suspected to be hiding in a mosque there, days after he was reported to have fled the bombed-out city.

“According to our latest info he is still inside Marawi,” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told a news conference in Manila. “In fact there is information we got this morning that he is hiding in one of the mosques there in Marawi.”

He said the information may be correct because government informants have been watching for Mr Hapilon’s arrival in his stronghold of Basilan island but have not seen him there. Mr Hapilon was not among three fighters from Marawi who arrived in Basilan a week ago, Mr Lorenzana added.

The militants aligned with the Islamic State group attacked Marawi on May 23 and are confined in a small area but still putting up resistance to government forces who’ve retaken most of the city.

The violence has left at least 459 people dead including 39 civilians, 336 militants, and 84 soldiers and policemen. At least eight foreign fighters are believed to be among the dead, Mr Lorenzana said.

Mr Hapilon is the Islamic State group’s purported leader in Southeast Asia. The Filipino militant is on Washington’s list of most-wanted terrorists, with a $5 million bounty on his head. His whereabouts are the subject of intelligence reports the military continues to try to verify.

Mr Lorenzana said displaced residents will be allowed to go back to cleared areas of the city, with the government assisting in the rebuilding of their homes, and to other areas as soon as the fighting stops. But he said some 1,500 homes still need to be cleared of explosives and soldiers are able to clear only 70 to 100 homes a day.

The rebuilding of the city’s business district may also take more time and funds because it has been badly damaged by government airstrikes on the attackers’ positions and the militant’s torching of buildings and houses.

https://lifespaceconnect.com/blog/20...war-torn-city/