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Mautes plan to humiliate MILF if they try to mediate in crisis, sources say

John Unson - Philstar.com

June 27, 2017 | 9:20am

Mautes plan to humiliate MILF if they try to mediate in crisis, sources say

A police officer holds a poster of wanted militants known as "Maute " group at a checkpoint set up at the entrance to Iligan City on Saturday, May 27, 2017 in Mindanao. Iligan city is one of the safe havens for the tens of thousands of Marawi residents who have fled their city following the rampage by Muslim militants. AP/Bullit Marquez, file

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Relatives have warned of a plot by Omar and Abdullah Maute to humiliate the Moro Islamic Liberation Front by derailing the group's efforts to help in the Marawi crisis.

The sources also clarified on Tuesday that Tausug members from among senior Dawlah Islamiya members prodded the Maute siblings to continue keeping Catholic priest Teresito Suganob captive to prevent the military from getting close.

Among the sources are clan relatives of patriarch Cayamora Maute from Marantao, Lanao del Sur.

One relative said the plan is to embarrass the MILF if it tries to mediate between the Maute group and the government by creating a scenario meant to show that the front does not have any influence at all on the Dawlah Islamiya.

"The MILF leadership should be cautious. They have embarrassed the MILF forces in Butig and now they have a plot to stir an impression that the MILF does not have enough influence to control radical groups in Lanao del Sur," said a 54-year-old businessman.

The sources referred to a Maute attack in late 2016 on the center of Butig town to show off and partly to humiliate MILF leaders there. The MILF's Camp Busra is not too far away from the municipal capital.

The government and the MILF are bound by a 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities to mutually cooperate in neutralizing criminals and terrorists in areas where the group has camps.

“One purpose of their last attack in the heart Butig was to create the impression that nothing can stop them when they go around and that even members of the MILF, a group we so respect for being representative of the Bangsamoro, can block their path,” another relative, who is a teacher, said.

Another source, who is a government employee, said they also doubt the reported offer of the Maute brothers to trade the captive priest, most known as Fr.Chito, with their detained father and mother, Farhana.

Farhana was arrested in Masiu town in Lanao del Sur about two weeks ago by personnel of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Cayamora was arrested by soldiers, along with his second wife, Kongan Balawag, while on their way to Davao City two weeks after Maute and Abu Sayyaf gunmen laid siege to Marawi City on May 23.

“They would not let go of the priest at this time. They know they are in a weak position to haggle because while they have a priest, the government has their parents,” said a nephew of Cayamora.

Another relative said Isnilon Hapilon, leader of an Abu Sayyaf faction that helped the Maute group launch their attack on Marawi City, had told Omar and Abdullah how his companions held captive in Basilan a Claretian missionary, Roel Gallardo, but gained nothing from his captivity.

Gallardo abduction

Gallardo was kidnapped on March 20, 2000 along with students and teachers of the Claret High School in Barangay Tumahubong in Sumisip town in Basilan.

He was killed by followers of Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafy Janjalani after the military refused to stop attacking their camp in Ponoh Mahadje in Sampinit Complex in the center of Basilan despite threats to execute the priest if they come near.

Janjalani was eventually forced to release their captives from Barangay Tumahubong when a popular warlord, Abdul Mijal, kidnapped his wife and children in Isabela City, then the capital of Basilan, for a tradeoff.

Mijal, whose group is also heavily armed, pulled off the daring stunt in response to the inclusion of a daughter, Dana, nicknamed Anya, among those that Abu Sayyaf gunmen snatched in Barangay Tumahubong.

The captives included more than 50 students and teachers, among them Gallardo and Social Studies teacher Reynaldo Rubio, now retired.

Foreign fighters

Highly-placed sources in Lanao del Sur also confirmed that a Pakistani and an Indonesian, both reportedly wounded in firefights with soldiers in Marawi City last week, now want to bolt from the Dawlah Islamiya.

The Pakistani, who introduced himself as Perkhas, even sent a message to Facebook accounts of certain individuals saying “la tusadeko hawla’a al ashkhas le annahum layso moslemen wah laysa lahum diyana,” Arabic for do not believe these people, they are not Muslims and they do not have religion.

He also stated in private Facebook messages that he and his Indonesian companion, whom he referred to as Vhitri, want to return to their home countries.

“No one from among their Maranaw companions would like to help them escape for fear of reprisals from their leaders,” said an elected official, who asked not to be identified.