EDITORIAL - Jihadi magnet

The parents, sister and other relatives of brothers Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, founders of the terrorist group that is fighting government forces in Marawi, have been arrested. Security forces have also apprehended suspected terrorists seeking treatment in hospitals, with one of them caught reportedly with a leg recently amputated.

It looks like government forces are gaining headway in neutralizing the Maute threat in Marawi. The next mission is to ensure that the Mautes will not regroup and the city will not turn into a magnet for foreign jihadis who want to set up a base in Southeast Asia.

This worrisome possibility has been raised by security analysts and several foreign governments including Washington, where certain officials are said to be considering stepped-up assistance for the Philippines in counterterrorism. Those who have monitored the movements of the Islamic State warn that IS jihadis in several countries are now being drawn to Mindanao, seeing the area as a potential regional base of operations and staging ground for terrorist attacks.

This will call for a strong military response, backed by many other aspects that are indispensable in blunting terrorist operations. Such effort can only work with strong support from the grassroots, with the local government performing its job efficiently.

Officials have noted that the IS-inspired Maute siege appeared to have enjoyed some support from a segment of the Marawi population. Funds, weapons and logistics were believed to have been provided by individuals involved in criminal activities such as drug trafficking or with connections to foreign organizations engaged in the intricate network of terrorist financing.

Grassroots support is best earned through good governance, social justice and the efficient delivery of basic services. The government must deprive IS and its Filipino acolytes not only of sanctuary but also of any cause to spread its message of hate, fear and violence. Marawi, the only Muslim city in this predominantly Catholic nation, has seen the consequences of having IS in its midst. The city cannot become a jihadi magnet.