‘Terror threat remains’

Gov’t monitoring IS activities

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the end of the Marawi siege, threats of terrorism in the Philippines remain, according to President Duterte, as he called on security forces yesterday to remain loyal to the Constitution while enforcing martial law in Mindanao and to foster global cooperation against extremism.

For Duterte, the soldiers who fought the jihadists in the southern Islamic City have made the country safer, but he warned that terrorism and insurgency continue to pose threats to public safety. 

“We have made significant headway in ridding the country of the scourges of criminality, insurgency, terrorism and corruption because of your invaluable contributions and there could never be a task more ennobling than that,” Duterte said during the Air Force change of command ceremony in Clark, Pampanga.

“I enjoin our troops to continue performing their duties well, especially as martial law remains in effect in Mindanao, and there are persisting threats of terrorism and insurgency,” he said. 

“While we have defeated the Maute group here, it cannot be denied that the (Islamic State) remains a global threat,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said, agreeing with Duterte.  

“It is therefore necessary for us to continue our cooperation and alliance with our friends in the international community to halt the spread of the IS menace,” Abella added. 

Islamic State (IS)-linked terrorists from the Maute group occupied Marawi last May 23, prompting Duterte to impose martial law in Mindanao. 

More than 800 militants, 160 government troopers and 40 civilians died during the five-month siege – the longest armed conflict in the Philippines since World War II. 

The crisis also displaced about 360,000 individuals or 72,000 families. 

Last week, terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed in an early morning clash, prompting Duterte to declare Marawi liberated from terrorist influence. 

Security forces ended their offensives this week and started pulling out troops from the main battle area. 

Duterte heaped praises on the soldiers who died in Marawi and vowed to take care of their families.

“We recognize the valor and the sacrifices of the (Philippine Air Force) personnel who were killed and wounded in action, particularly the casualties caused by the conflict in Marawi City. Rest assured that the Philippines is committed to promote the welfare of all PAF personnel and their loved ones,” the Chief Executive said.  

“That you have left your families and the comfort of your homes to serve the country is truly praiseworthy. Indeed, the Philippines and our people are indebted to you because of the sacrifices you have made every single day. Truly, you have made our country safer and more secure,” he added.

Malacañang also thanked United States Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for recognizing the efforts of Philippine troops to end the Marawi siege.

“The government is grateful to the US government for helping us defeat the ambition of the IS-affiliated group to establish a caliphate in our country,” Abella said.

The US provided the Philippines technical expertise and equipment to strengthen the government forces’ campaign against the Maute group. 

Retired PAF chief lauded

Duterte also commended former PAF chief Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina, who bowed out of the service yesterday. Fallorina was replaced by Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr., former chief of the Palawan-based Western Command and a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985. 

“I am confident that the PAF is in good order, with the several improvements initiated by Lt. Gen. Fallorina and the upgrades made under his administration,” the President said.

Duterte said Fallorina supported internal security operations and provided air assets during offensives against terrorists. 

Not all air raids under Fallorina’s watch, however, were successful. A total of 12 soldiers were killed and 18 others were injured in two bungled air strikes in Marawi. 

The PAF deployed more than 400 personnel to support the ground troops during the siege.

“I assure you that the PAF has the government’s full support as you perform your mandate as an organization. In fact, two C130s and 12 FA-50 aircrafts have been added to the PAF since July of last year,” Duterte said.

Highest alert ? 

The military and the police would be placed on highest alert to ensure the safety of participants of the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. 

“It will be highest alert. Red alert, as far as I know, is the highest. But even with just red alert, it will be even higher than that,” ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Committee director-general for operations Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. said. 

“All of the security elements within the areas of where the leaders are will be on full security alert. However, the whole country will also be on alert because we would not want anything happening anywhere in the Philippines during those days,” he added.

Paynor said Southeast Asian countries are working together to counter the threat posed by terrorism. 

He noted that foreign ministers of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia met after the Marawi crisis broke out to discuss anti-terror strategies.  

“They expressed their own concerns about some of these jihadists being nationals of their own respective countries, both from Malaysia and Indonesia… But that’s something really beyond their control,” Paynor said.  

“So, the three countries are together sharing information so that movements of these people can be known to all the others (and) we can be proactive in terms of preventing a similar occurrence,” he added.

The Philippine Air Force welcomes Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerald Kintanar as new chief replacing Lt. Gen.Edgar Fallorina during the change of command and retirement ceremony witnessed by President Duterte at Clark Air Base in Pampanga yesterday.

Navy pulls out elite forces

The Philippine Navy elite Seal and Marine reconnaissance force and other component units that saw action in defeating the IS-affiliated Maute group have pulled out of Marawi City, according to Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command (NFWM) commander Rear Admiral Rene Medina.

Medina will send off today the Navy Seal, Marines and sailors from Iligan City back to Manila.

He said the BRP Tarlac, one of the newest navy landing dock and multi-purpose operational ships, will ferry back the navy’s fighting elite and sailors today following an honor and sendoff ceremony.

The Seals, Marines and sailors at the height of the five-month hostility in Marawi prevented the pro-IS terrorists from either escaping or reinforcing the main battle area through Lake Lanao.

The Marines also seized from the Maute’s control several bridges leading to the main battle area.

The naval unit rescued several of the hostages who escaped through the lake. 

“These dedicated sailors and Marines have shown selfless acts and patriotism in liberating Marawi City from the terrorists’ occupation,” Medina said.

A mass was offered for troopers of the 55th Special Action Company of the 5th Special Action Force Battalion as they arrived yesterday at their base here following the joint mission with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Marawi.

IS terrorists for close monitoring

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday bared that the Philippine embassy in Baghdad has furnished the defense and military establishments with names of Islamic militants from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines who have fought alongside the IS terrorists for close monitoring.

Lorenzana said these information, along with that provided by the US and Australian governments, are highly valuable to the ongoing anti-terrorism operations of the country’s government security forces.

“Even before the Marawi siege, we have been trying to coordinate with neighboring countries because early on, we know there were (Asian) fighters fighting in the Middle East,” Lorenzana said.

With the defeat of the IS in the Middle East, monitoring has been heightened for the possible return of these fighters to their respective countries, including the Philippines. – With Roel Pareño, Jaime Laude