MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said Abu Sayyaf group senior leader Isnilon Hapilon, an internationally wanted terrorist, is still in Marawi City.
"According to our latest information, he's (Hapilon) still inside Marawi," Lorenzana said during the Mindanao Hour press briefing.
"In fact, there is an information we got this morning that he was hiding in one of the mosques there in Marawi. I think this is maybe correct," he added.
Lorenzana claimed that the information on Hapilon's whereabouts came from ground forces.
The defense chief, who is also administrator of martial law in Mindanao, is confident that the information on Hapilon is likely to be accurate, since his possible arrival in Basilan is also being monitored. Three fighters arrived in Basilan more than a week ago but the Abu Sayyaf leader was not one of them, Lorenzana noted.
Lorenzana also reported that there are 66 persons arrested under martial law, including mmembers of the Maute family.
Early in June, President Rodrigo Duterte offered a P10-million bounty for the neutralization of Hapilon, who is believed to be leading a coalition of Islamic State supporters who attacked Marawi. The bounty is on top of the United States' offer of $5 million and the Philippine government's standing P7.4 million bounty for Hapilon's head.
Hapilon is also believed to be the appointed "emir" of the so-called ISIS. In a YouTube video posted in July 2014, he was shown swearing allegiance to Middle East-based terror organization.
Hapilon has an outstanding warrant of arrest for kidnapping with ransom and serious illegal detention.