Terrorists’ resistance to crumble with deaths of Hapilon, Maute: Ano

October 16, 2017

The Philippine military said with the death of the two leaders of the Maute-Abu Sayyaf resisting government troops in Marawi is a costly blow to the local terrorist group.

Although military operations against the remaining terrorist members in the city continues, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Eduardo Ano said with the death of Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute means “this is the end” for them.

“I’m certain that the neutralization of Hapilon and Omar is the last straw that... broke the camel's back,” he said.

“The Marawi crisis will be over sooner than later. The resistance or what is left of it, the terrorists will crumble. It is a dead end, there is nowhere else to go for them,” he added.

Ano refused to give another deadline on when the military will end the battle in Marawi but he assures  the conflict will finish within the week.

“It will be just a matter of days before it can finally be declared that Marawi has been liberated from the clutches of the terrorists...,” he said.

“Needless to say, the remaining terrorists should as well free their hostages and if their dignity intact by letting the non-combatants go,” he added.

Ano said the military were able to recover nine bodies of the terrorist group during a fire fight that started around 2 am until 6 am Monday

He added that during the operation government forces rescued a total of 20 hostages including a two-month old baby.

Ano said based on their estimate there are 22 hostages in the hands of the terrorists and around 39 Maute relatives who remain in the battle area.

“For the Maute/ISIS, we're counting about 30 or less. Stragglers is what we call them because they don’t have leaders anymore. They are on their own so they are stragglers,” he said.

Ano said these terrorists who are still in the main battle area includes less than eight foreign fighters.

“On foreign terrorists, we counted they are around less than eight. Based on the information gathered one of them is a prominent Malaysian terrorist (known as) Dr. Mahmud (who) is still in the main battle area and some Indonesians and Malaysians. But we learned also that their attitude is not like before they are not that too aggressive and we are very optimistic that we will get all of them,” he said.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed the death of Hapilon and Maute, thanks to a female hostage who was able to escape.

The hostage, said Lorenzana, gave the location of Hapilon and Maute at a particular building and this this what was assaulted by government forces.

“Yes I confirm the killing of (Isnilon) Hapilon and Omar Maute this morning, early this morning,” Lorenzana told reporters in an ambush interview in Camp Aguinaldo.

“We were supposed to go to Marawi with the president but were prevailed upon by the commanders on the ground to postpone our trip because they are going to conduct the assault today, this morning. So following their operational plan they were able to do it this morning. They were able to get Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute. They were both killed. In fact their faces have already been splashed in the internet and in the websites,” he added.

“Yesterday they were able to get a testimony from a hostage that was able to escape and she (hostage) was able to confirm the presence of Isnilon and Maute in that particular building. So that’s the building that we assaulted this morning, early this morning,” he added.

Lorenzana said the bodies of Hapilon and Omar will both be subjected to DNA testing.

“Yes they will be subjected to DNA test because there are rewards coming from foreign country and also from us. I think Maute has a five million pesos reward on his head. Isnilon has a five million dollars reward on his head plus another 10 from the government. So it’s huge money,” he said.

Lorenzana said even after the conflict ends the military will have to assess  if they will recommend the lifting or to continued implementation of martial law in Mindanao.

“We are only looking in the immediate aftermath of the killing of these two leaders, we may, as I said we may be lifting, I mean announcing the cessation of hostilities within this week and then after that we will find out, we will assess what the entire Mindanao if there is a need to recommend to the president the lifting of martial law,” he said.

Ano said after the end of the armed conflict in Marawi the military will focus on neutralizing the terrorist and bandit group in Basilan, Sulu and Maguindanao.

“After this Marawi crisis is over, we will run after the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and Basilan and also the BIFF in Maguindanao so our (goal) is to finish all these Maute/ISIS, Abu Sayyaf and BIFF until the end of 2017, December 2017,” he said.

“So this will continue and there will be no let up. It’s about time to end these terrorists here in Mindanao,” Ano added. Robina Asido/DMS