Philippine official says reported offer by Maute to free priest “not possible”

June 27, 2017

A Philippine official said the government refused the demand of a member of the Maute group to release his parents and relatives in exchange for a priest they have been holding since the attack on Marawi City started on May 23. “It’s not possible. We don’t negotiate with terrorists. Their parents have to undergo judicial process,” said Secretary Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process. “If we will give in to their demands, it seems they also terrorize us. So negotiation is not possible,” he added. A newspaper reported that a team of emissaries from the Philippine government met with Abdullah and Maddie Maute during Sunday’s pause in fighting. The Maute said Fr. Teresito Suganob, vicar general of Marawi City, will be released if authorities will free the Maute brothers’ arrested parents and other relatives. Suganob is held with a female professor from Mindanao State University, two female church workers, two male and five female teachers from Dansalan Foundation College and “about 200 carpenters, domestic workers, children and youth, ordinary Christian settlers and other Subanen tribes. On June 9, Omenta Romato Maute, mother of brothers Omar and Abdullah, along with seven other women,  were arrested by police in Masiu, Lanao Del Sur. On June 7, Cayamora Maute and his second wife, Kongan Alfonso-Maute, were arrested at a checkpoint in Sirawan, in Davao’s Toril district. A source said the Maute group will not leave Marawi City and are ready to die in battle. They are open for negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. MILF spokesman Von Al Haq, said they are willing to intervene  but they want  to consult their counterpart in the government. A military spokesman said it is winning the battle of Marawi City. “We are winning in the battle as manifestation of war materials discovered daily. The AFP is winning and the victory is irreversible. We appeal to everyone to continue to support and pray for our troops,” Joint Task Force Marawi military spokesman Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera told reporters. The military said they have recovered 360 high-powered firearms, ammunition, improvised bombs and fuel bombs. Herrera 85 buildings occupied by Maute were cleared, two cadavers were also recovered and the military is trying to identify the bodies. “If you will notice, we have cleared 86 buildings occupied by the Maute and we are inch by inch… moving in the center of gravity.  Another manifestation we have validated reports that they leadership problem inside. They also lack ammunition. They have limited maneuver space,” he added. DMS