‘Link between Marawi siege, drugs confirmed’

MANILA, Philippines - The recovery of P10 million worth of shabu in the house of former Marawi mayor Omar Solitario Ali confirmed the link between the ongoing crisis in the city and illegal drugs, Malacañang said yesterday.

“This development will hopefully bring to bear the realities existing in the area about the close relation between the illegal drug trade and this ongoing rebellion,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

Security forces seized two kilos of shabu worth P10 million from a house of Ali while conducting clearing operations in battle ravaged Marawi City last Friday. Authorities are convinced Ali’s house was used by the Maute terrorists as a safe house. 

Ali was included in the arrest order issued by the Department of National Defense as implementer of martial law. He was also earlier named by President Duterte as among the “narco politicians” involved in illegal drugs.

His younger brother Fahad Salic, also a former mayor of the city, was included in the list and was charged with rebellion for supporting the Islamic State-linked Maute group that has laid siege on Marawi City for almost a month.

Meanwhile, troops and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) led by Chief Insp. William Santos seized five kilos of shabu from the abandoned houses of Salic and his brother Vice Mayor Arafat.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, military spokesman, said the seizure of the illegal drugs was a major breakthrough in the campaign to liberate Marawi.

President Duterte has repeatedly claimed that money from illegal drugs is funding the terrorist activity in Mindanao. 

“Drugs fueled martial law…and it’s because of the drug money, they were funding the terrorism. It’s part of rebellion,” he said in a speech in Tacurong City last June 7. 

In a report on martial law that he submitted to Congress, Duterte said the Maute militants have ties to armed groups abroad and are benefitting from illegal drug money. 

“Reports abound that foreign-based terrorist groups, the ISIS (Islamic State) in particular, as well as illegal drug money, provide financial and logistical support to the Maute group,” Duterte said in the report. 

“Considering the network and alliance-building activities among terrorist groups, local criminals and lawless armed men, the siege of Marawi City is a vital cog in attaining their longstanding goal: absolute control over the entirety of Mindanao,” he added. 

In a speech before military troops in Sulu last May 29, Duterte said Mindanao has been a “hotbed” of shabu as some politicians have made a fortune out of the illegal drug. 

“(It) actually started with drugs. And they were producing drugs halfway, not really for business but to fund the terrorism,” he said.  – With Jaime Laude