Duterte seeking loan from China to fight militants

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking a loan from China to acquire sophisticated weapons that government troops can use against Islamic extremists in Mindanao.

Duterte said militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) should be contained as they pose a danger to national security.

"If they (extremists) are desperate enough, they would resume bombing. That is why I said to the military and the police, you embargo the place, you contain them in that area alone, Lanao. It should not spill over to other places," the president told reporters in Malacañang on Monday.

"And I have also asked the armed forces to use all available assets and all the weaponry that's at our disposal. At I have an urgent message to China to help us if they have precision-guided arms, they can give us a loan," he added.

Duterte did not provide details about the loan he is trying to secure from China, which has previously offered to provide military aid to the Philippines.

The president, also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said he has ordered a "full-press military operation" against the militants.

"I am scared of them because historically, they use bombs, bomb, IED (improvised explosive devices) and they did it several times in my city. The latest one was in the flea market in front of Ateneo," Duterte said, referring to the Davao City bombing last September that left 15 people dead.

"That to me would be the more dangerous thing for us. And I have ordered a full-press military operation otherwise, there would be a repeat of such incident," he added.

Duterte announced his plan to tap a loan from China on the same day the military reported that 15 militants, including a suspected foreign terrorist, were killed in airstrikes in Butig, Lanao del Sur.

The Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command reported that among those who were killed are Indonesian terror suspected identified only as Mohisen and two local terrorists identified as Sahl Num and alias Sadat.

Seven militants were also wounded during the raid including Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, a certain Amirul and a certain Emir. Security officials claimed Hapilon was "severely wounded" during the raid.

Duterte said Hapilon was already given the "blessing" to be the leader of ISIS in the Philippines.

"I don't know if it covers Malaysia and Indonesia. But he is now the top honcho of the ISIS here. He is billeted somewhere in Lanao and we have a full time military operation there," he said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the military is using all available assets, including FA-50 jets and Broncos, to contain the extremists.

"We believe that we already have sufficient assets there and the ground troops supported by our air assets," the defense chief said.

"So you can say it is an all-out war against the Maute groups in Lanao because Hapilon is there –

Isnilon Hapilon with 40 of his people from Basilan with the intention of organizing the ISIS connected group there," he added.

Duterte previously said the Maute group has ties with international terrorist network ISIS, which seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate worldwide.  

"As of now, we are only looking at Lanao del Sur, the area there in Butig because there is a sizeable number of Maute group (members there). I think they are about 100, 250 armed men including their supporters," Lorenana said.

Duterte is confident that the military can cope with the security challenges that come with the operations against the Maute group.

"If you say that it will — maybe the violence will spread to other places maybe, maybe," the president said.

"But the Armed Forces and the Navy at this time can cope. I told them, we will end the problem in Lanao so we won't have a problem anymore. I'm declaring war."