Cotabato attack, not diversionary tactic from Maute: military

June 21, 2017

The attack in Cotabato by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters on Wednesday morning was not a diversionary tactic by the terrorist Islamic State-linked Maute group nor a spillover of the conflict in Marawi City, a military spokesman said. In the "Mindanao Hour" briefing in Malacanang, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said those who attacked an outpost of a village peacekeeping action in Pigkawayan, Cotabato did not come from Marawi and even before, "they continue to harass, attack our outposts there." He said the armed lawless men were just roaming in that area. Asked if the attack could be a diversionary tactic amid the government troops' continuous offensive in Marawi against Maute, Padilla said, "in certain sense, maybe, but by and large, they are just taking advantage. "They were taking advantage of the situation that we have a very slight --- lightly defended outpost and that they think our forces are elsewhere in the province," he said. While government forces may be facing many fronts, he said soldiers in other parts of the country are ready. Padilla acknowledged that the Maute, the BIFF, the Abu Sayyaf and other local terrorist groups in Mindanao have joined forces. He said Maute militants were the ones that invited other groups to join. "That’s why the Maute group increased in numbers because of that attempt to unify these terrorist organizations who have pledged allegiance to the Daesh ISIS," he said. Meanwhile, the number of casualties in the military operations in Marawi continued to increase. As of 12 noon of June 20, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the number of civilians killed was 26; government side, 66; and Maute terrorists, 268. (Celerina Monte/DMS)