Teacher recalls Omar Maute being a ‘proper’ student 

A teacher could not believe that one of his former students grew up to be  Omarkhayyam Maute, one of the leaders of the ISIS-inspired Maute group that occupied parts of Marawi City and set fire to his alma mater. 

"Nakita lang namin ang aerial shots ng school, sobrang nakakalungkot,"  teacher Minalang Barapantao Jr.  said, referring to Dansalan College, the school that Omar attended, going up in flames.

A report by Emil Sumangil on Balitanghali quoted the educator describing Omar as "di makabasag-pinggan," an idiomatic expression meaning 'proper.'

A month ago, the Maute group occupied and later burned down the institution which was said to be the only Christian school in Marawi.

An Agence France-Presse report earlier said that after years of studying Islamic Theology in Egypt, Omar went back to the Philippines to propagate IS-influenced ideologies with several members including his brother Abdullah, who also obtained a Christian education. 

Last week, the military said it was verifying information that Omar could be among the Maute fatalities.  Sumangil reported that Omar's elder brother, Abdullah, is believed to be the one directing Maute operations in Marawi.

At a press briefing on Monday, Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, Task Force Marawi spokesperson, said the terrorist group was encountering 'leadership problems.'

"Nagaaway-away na ngayon ang mga leaders nila because of the issue of money, of dwindling logistical support, yung leadership," Herrera said.

Meanwhile, reports of the group beheading four hostages have yet to be verified, Herrera added. 

It has been 35 days since the group initiated hostilities against government forces, which caused thousands to flee and martial law to be declared in the region.

Since May 23, a total of 290 Maute terrorists have been killed while 347 firearms have been recovered from their ranks. On the government side, 70 have been killed in action. — Margaret Claire Layug/RSJ/KVD, GMA News