Filtered By: Topstories
News

Dureza: Duterte taking bold steps to deal with Maute Group


Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza on Sunday said President Rodrigo Duterte is taking "bold steps" to deal with the Maute terror group based in Lanao del Sur.

This comes amid the military's offensive in Butig, Lanao del Sur after the Maute Group occupied the old municipal building on Saturday.

"The President is fully aware of the challenges on the ground hence he is taking bold steps to deal with them," Dureza said in a statement.

He added: "The Maute situation is still a developing situation in Butig."

The military had said that the operation against the local terror group may last for one week.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, public affairs chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said that at least 11 Maute group members have been killed and at least five others have been injured in clashes with government troops since Saturday.

Meanwhile, Dureza said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) working in coordination with the military "to deal with the ground situation."

He said the MILF is also helping in the government's efforts to assist the residents of Butig town who have been displaced by clashes between the terror group and the military.

"Even the provisions for the affected evacuees are being assisted by the MILF to support government efforts to assist those adversely affected by the on-going stand-off in the area," Dureza added.

The Maute Group, which had pledge allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is led by Abdullah Maute, who is the alleged founder of a Dawlah Islamiya or a Islamic State based in Lanao del Sur.

ISIS may come to PHL

In his speech on Saturday night, Duterte said he was worried of the possibility of ISIS members transferring to the Philippines and other parts of Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia.

He said that the ISIS had declared "the kingdom of the caliphate" in the Philippines.

"We try to avoid the contamination of ISIS. What we are afraid of is if the ISIS are pushed out and they lose a landmass, kailngan ka magluto, makiligo, they will try to come to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines because they have declared the caliphate, the kingdom of the caliphate dito," he said.

Authorities suspect that members of the Maute Group were responsible for the deadly night market bombing in Davao City last September. —ALG, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT