Maute founder killed in air strike? AFP checking

MANILA, Philippines - A military airstrike in Marawi City last week reportedly killed local terrorist leader Omar Maute.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Año, however, said ground forces were still validating Omar’s reported death in an airstrike last May 28.

Año said another Maute sibling was killed in an airstrike in Butig last February.

Until reports of Omar’s death are confirmed, Año said he would continue to assume that the terrorist leader is alive.

Año stressed that AFP troops are gaining ground on the Maute gunmen as the offensive in Marawi enters the third week.

Officials said the defense put up by the Maute terrorists in the city is crumbling and it will just be a matter of time before they are decimated.

Last week, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said there are around 200 to 250 Maute gunmen still putting up a good fight.

But as the fighting entered its 15th day yesterday, military commanders on the ground reported only around 100 were left of the local terrorists.

“We are talking of about at least a hundred Maute-IS remaining terrorists in Bangolo area,” Año said.

The Bangolo district is located in the commercial center of the city still occupied by the Maute group, named after their founders, the brothers Omar and Abdullah.

Año said the troops are tightening their grip around the area, not leaving room for terrorists to maneuver and escape.

He said government troops have confined the Maute in the area with less protection from their already dislodged snipers. 

Government forces have been trying to dislodge the terrorists from their well-entrenched sniper nests in mosques and buildings.

Año said the gunmen are running out of food and ammunition with their supply line plugged as troops encircled Barangay Bangolo.

He said the troops have cleared some of the sniper nests in last Monday’s fighting, paving the way for troops to sustain the ground assault.

“Our forces have captured some of the buildings previously occupied by terrorist snipers and we have recovered some of these rifles,” Año said.

When fighting started on May 23, around 500 to 700  Maute gunmen occupied almost the entire city of Marawi, but as fighting raged their number started to dwindle.

Lawmakers are monitoring the progress of the fighting and they want to ensure the needs of the troops are met in order to continue the offensive.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez designated Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat to coordinate with the military’s Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and the regional police to facilitate the needs of the ground forces.

Lobregat said Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and Region 9 police director Chief Supt. Billy Beltran have submitted their recommendations on the troops’ needs.

The Supreme Court (SC), on the other hand, has designated the Cagayan de Oro City regional trial court to handle all cases against the Maute terrorists.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the high tribunal has also directed the lower courts to help in handling the Maute cases.

Te said the high tribunal has tapped the Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro to handle terrorism cases under the Human Security Act.

The SC has directed Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez to “coordinate with the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division stationed also in Cagayan de Oro to determine appropriate security measures for court personnel, prosecutors, lawyers and the accused.”

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa ordered the relief of Lanao del Sur provincial police director Senior Supt. Oscar Nantes for his failure to fortify efforts of government forces to secure the areas occupied by Maute gunmen in Marawi.  – With Edu Punay, Roel Pareño, Cecille Suerte Felipe