Dureza admits helping former Marawi mayor as go-between

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza admitted yesterday that he helped former Marawi City mayor Omar Solitario secure clearance in a meeting with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Solitario was among local officials linked to the Maute group that laid siege to Marawi City. His brother, Pre Salic, was also a former mayor and relative by affinity of the Mautes.

Dureza said Solitario had volunteered to help end the fighting in Marawi.

Dureza said he also arranged a meeting with the President in Davao City where Solitario offered help. 

“(We) then provided support in his plans of putting back in operation a local radio station that had stopped due to the need to install a new antenna to mobilize listeners how to counter violent extremism. He even published a small book on how to deal with the emergence of violent extremism,” Dureza said. 

Dureza said he had recommended the issuance of a clearance from the secretary of national defense to allow Solitario to travel, considering the former mayor was among the personalities to be arrested under martial law in Mindanao.

“I talked with Secretary Lorenzana and I was told that a clearance for him (Solitario) was being issued, including his two sons,” he said.

Dureza clarified Solitario’s sons were not included in his representations since he had no knowledge of their activities.

Dureza said that during their Cabinet security cluster meeting at Camp Aguinaldo, he was furnished copies of the clearances signed by Lorenzana.

“I emailed the copies to former Iligan mayor Franklin Quijano to pass them on to Omar Solitario. I also later called Solitario that he should directly arrange the planned meeting with Secretary of National Defense as OPAPP does not get involved in AFP operational matters,” Dureza said.

Dureza said Solitario had offered to mediate with the Maute group, named after the two brothers leading the terrorists fighting government forces over the control of Marawi City since May 23.

“When (the fighting in) Marawi erupted, he (Solitario) was sending me timely situation updates and offered if he could initiate talks with the Mautes. After consulting others, I advised him to first refrain from dealing with them as the situation was still fluid consistent with government policy that we cannot undertake peace talks with plain terrorists,” Dureza said. 

When Solitario’s name was included in the arrest orders pursuant to the declaration of martial law, Dureza said he revoked his consultancy arrangement with the OPAPP.

He said Solitario later informed him that he left Marawi City and stayed in a safe sanctuary outside the city but he kept in touch by making suggestions on how to deal with the developing incidents. 

“He was distressed why his name was included in the list. At one time, when the President was in Cagayan de Oro monitoring Marawi, I arranged his phone call with the President,” Dureza said.

The President had told Solitario over the phone that he instead should talk to Dureza, he said. 

“So I continued handling him. Later on I was informed that there was an arrangement for him to meet with Defense Secretary Lorenzana to discuss how he could help the government,” Dureza said. – With Edith Regalado