Indonesian extremist captured in Marawi charged with rebellion

Authorities slapped on Thursday rebellion charges with the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice against an Indonesian extremist who fought with ISIS-inspired Maute group in Marawi City.

Muhammad Ilham Syahputra underwent inquest proceedings before Assistant State Prosecutor Ethel Rea Suril at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office for the criminal complaint for rebellion and violations of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulatory Act (Republic Act 10591), Law on Explosives (Republic Act 9516) and International Humanitarian Law (Republic Act 9581).

Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said the case filed by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has now been submitted for resolution.

Syahputra was arrested on Wednesday morning by members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams of Barangay Loksadatu and was turned over to the police and military.

Seized from Syahputra were a fragmentation grenade, firearm and ammunition, cash in local and foreign dominations, gold bracelets, a computer tablet, a mobile phone, and a passport.

The 22-year-old reportedly told authorities he was from an extremist group linked to the terror attack in Jakarta in January 2016 that killed four people.

Syahputra, a native of the Indonesian city of Medan in North Sumatra province, said he arrived in the Philippines in November 2016 reportedly upon the invitation of Abu Sayyaf leader and ISIS Southeast Asia emir Isnilon Hapilon, who was killed in the government operations in Marawi City.

Marawi City had been under siege by the Maute group for five months until it was liberated by government troops earlier this month.

Last April, the military recovered an Indonesian passport belonging to a certain Muhammad Ilham Syahputra after an air and land offensive at the camp of the Maute group in Piagapo, Lanao Del Sur.

Lanao del Sur provincial police director Senior Superintendent John Guyguyon said they would coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration and other agencies to check if Syahputra indeed had a passport when he entered the country. — MDM, GMA News