Indonesian ISIS: 39 Mautes still in Marawi

MANILA, Philippines — A suspected Indonesian terrorist belonging to the Islamic State-inspired Maute group told authorities there were still up to 39 stragglers in the battle area following his arrest yesterday morning while trying to escape from Marawi City.

Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the Joint Task Force Ranao, confirmed the arrest of the Indonesian suspect but refused to identify him or provide details.

Brawner only said “an Indonesian national” was arrested in Barangay Loksadatu at around 7 a.m.  yesterday. But reports identified the foreign fighter as 23-year-old Muhammad Ilham Syahputra.

Seized from the suspect was an Indonesian passport and a bag containing an improvised explosive device (IED).

Brawner said the suspect initially claimed there were 20 Mautes still trapped in the main battle area, The arrest of the Indonesian had confirmed intelligence reports that foreign terrorists, some coming from as far as Iraq and Syria, were involved in the attack in Marawi City last May 23.

Members of the Barangay Peace Action Team (BPAT) initially intercepted the suspect as he was trying to leave Marawi City and immediately turned him over to military and police authorities.

BPAT patrollers doubted the suspect’s real identity and detained him because of his different physical features and his failure to speak fluent Tagalog or English as well as the local dialect, while speaking Bahasa fluently.

A Maranao regional lawmaker, Zia Alonto Adiong of the 24-seat Regional Assembly-ARMM, said the vigilance of the BPAT led to the arrest of the Indonesian.

“The foreigner is now in the custody of the Marawi City police,” Adiong said in behalf of the Lanao del Sur provincial government.

Brawner said the suspect is being investigated by military and police at the Marawi police station.

He said Senior Supt. John Guyguyon, Lanao del Sur police director, noted the suspect admitted that he took part in the Marawi siege and that prior to this, he also fought alongside Filipino and foreign fighters against government troops in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur.

Still nursing a gunshot wound in his side, the suspect was initially treated at Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi, the same hospital the terrorists attacked and where an unarmed policeman was executed last May 23.

Guyguyon said the suspect also told them he had to shoot a fellow Indonesian because the guy reportedly tried to prevent him from leaving.

“He left the main battle area because he no longer believed what he was fighting for. Well that’s his story,” Guyguyon said, adding that after treatment, cases of rebelllion and terrorism will be filed against the suspect for being part of the Marawi siege.

The Indonesian embassy has been informed about the arrest with police and military authorities also coordinating the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and airport authorities to validate the suspect’s claim that he entered the country legally through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

According to the suspect, he arrived in the country on Nov. 16, 2016 upon invitation of the now slain Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader and IS-designated Southeast Asia emir Isnilon Hapilon through an international Muslim organization and headed to Lanao del Sur.

The suspect also admitted his participation in a bombing in Indonesia, saying their group also planned to conduct bombings in the Philippines, according to Guyguyon.

Main targets of these terrorist bombing operations in the Philippines are military camps. However, the plot failed to push through because of what happened in the Marawi campaign.

He said the suspect reported a rift between remnants of the terrorist group numbering around 20 fighters that have remained in the main battle area in Marawi.

As per the suspect’s claim, some of the remaining terrorirsts wanted to leave the battle zone but were prevented and watched closely by their hardcore cohorts.

Even after the official termination of the five-month conflict as declared by President Duterte last Oct. 23 in Marawi City, there were reports several local and foreign terrorists are still holed up in the main battle area near Lake Lanao.

Marawi commanders’ trip

President Duterte fulfilled his promise of a respite for the soldiers who fought for five months in Marawi City against the Maute terrorist group after he brought along 17 Army officers in his recent visit to Japan.

The President invited 17 Army battalion commanders and their staff to join him in his working visit to Tokyo.

The President earlier promised the soldiers deployed in Marawi City an all expense-paid trip to Hong Kong for getting the job done.

The promise of a trip to Hong Kong was also a way to boost the morale of the soldiers fighting the Maute militant group that attacked Marawi last May 23.

“Hindi, ‘yung kasabay ko (no, those who went with me) are really the top commanders. I just invited them for a respite. Eh hindi nila kailangan punta ng (they need not go to) Hong Kong kasama ‘yung mga babae (with the female soldiers),” the President said upon arrival in Davao City last Tuesday night from Tokyo.

The President said he already sent the female soldiers who fought in Marawi City to Hong Kong.

Duterte said he brought with him the military officers to Tokyo for them to unwind and for some sight-seeing.

He said Cebu Pacific Air shouldered the airfare while he spent for the hotel and allowance of the lady soldiers in Hong Kong.

Duterte said the female soldiers had gone to Hong Kong and have returned home.

The President had given the soldiers food packs, as well as G-Shock wristwatches and other items whenever he visited them before Marawi City was liberated from terrorist influence last month.

While Japan has pledged to help rebuild Marawi, President Duterte assured the public yesterday that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces will not be joining the rehabilitation activities.

When asked about the participation of the Japanese military in the infrastructure development projects in Marawi, Duterte said the government will be open to experts from Japan.

“No, I do not think that they are sending soldiers, the Japan Defense Forces. No, it’s the military arm of their government and I do not think that your (Japan) Constitution would allow that thing to happen,” he said.

“We are very satisfied with the Japanese experts and technicians, they are all good,” he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard can probably work with the Japanese Coast Guard, he said.

“Maybe, Coast Guard. The Coast Guard there is purely civilian. It belongs to the Department of Transportation,” he said. “And Coast Guard is the component of enforcing the laws… applicable in the territorial waters of Japan. Coast Guard lang po.” With Christina Mendez, Edith Regalado, John Unson