Military checking on Maranao Victims Movement

September 20, 2017

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are verifying the alleged existence of another rebel group who called themselves as the Maranao Victims Movement.

“With regard to that particular group we are also doing our own verification and validation because we would like first to determine if that group indeed exists, if there are people that really represents them because it is also possible,” said Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP Public Affairs Chief, before reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday.

“We will determine whether this group indeed exists and who is behind this group, so its composition, but in the first place does this group really exist as it purports to be,” he added.

Arevalo expressed hope that if there is such group, it will not intend to hamper the government’s plan to rehabilitate Marawi City.

“We hope that this group if any, there intention is not to impede our desire to immediately start the reconstruction and rehabilitation, of course it is based on the impending success of the combat operations that we have against the group of the Maute/ISIS,” he said.

The Maranao Victims Movement claims to be led by evacuees or the people displaced because of the on-going armed conflict in Marawi City.

In a Facebook post, the group noted that their “movement is dedicated to help in fighting for the rights of the Bangsa Meranaw whose dignity was trampled upon because of this crisis.” Robina Asido/DMS