Alejano in counter-SONA: Maute now an int'l terror group, thanks to Duterte

Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on Sunday claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte and the ISIS-inspired Maute group have been seemingly helping each other forward each other's agenda.

"Pag titignan natin nang maigi, tila nagtulungan si Duterte at ang Maute group para makamit ang kani-kanilang mga adhikain. Si Duterte naghahanap ng justifications to declare martial law na binigay naman ng Maute at ang Maute naman ay naghahanap ng recognition mula sa ISIS at buong mundo bilang isang pwersa na kayang mamuno ng isang Islamic province," Alejano said in a speech during the counter-State of the Nation Address (SONA) gathering at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City.

"In effect, binigay ito ni Duterte sa pagitan ng pagdeklara ng martial law. Ang Maute, mula sa isang local terrorist group ay isa nang international terrorist organization sa ngayon. Maraming salamat kay Pangulong Duterte," he added.

Alejano, who filed the dismissed impeachment complaint against Duterte, questioned the president's motive to declare martial law in Mindanao.

"Ang tanong, naghahanap lang ba ng pagkakataon si Duterte upang maisakatuparan ang kanyang inasam-asam na martial law?" he said.

Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law the same day the Maute group attacked Marawi City last May 23.

The declaration's 60-duration will lapse on July 22, two days before Duterte's second SONA.

In his speech, Alejano argued that Duterte already knew the plan of the Maute group to attack Marawi City.

He cited Duterte's speech during the Wallace Business Forum dinner in Malacanang last December 12, where he said the terrorist group was willing to pull out of Lanao provided that government forces would stop the offensive.

"They are in there in the forest. I don’t know where and I said, they would stop fighting, provided we stop the offensive or not, they said that they will go down upon Marawi to burn the place," Duterte said.

In his speech, Duterte bared the Maute group's threat to burn Marawi and dared the terror group to "[g]o ahead, do it."

"Ang hamon na ito ay kinagat ng Maute at naging totoo ang pagkasira ng Marawi," Alejano said.

Alejano, meanwhile, insisted that martial rule is not the sole solution to address rebellion and insurgency in Mindanao.

"Military is not the only solution to the complex problems of the country. It has been proven in the past," he said.

"Sa ganitong klase ng kasalukuyang pamumuno, hindi kapayapaan ang dala kundi kaguluhan," he added. —ALG, GMA News