ISIS-inspired Dawlah Islamiyah recruits surrender to authorities in Cotabato

COTABATO CITY - Two young recruits of the Islamic State (ISIS)-inspired Dawlah Islamiyah surrendered to authorities on Sunday in Cotabato City.

Accompanied by their parents and other relatives, the two, a 24-year-old woman known only as "Bai" and a 21-year-old man known only as "Datu", finally decided to come out in the open and surrender.

"Bai" and "Datu" admitted they were part of the Dawlah Islamiyah Cotabato terror cell group (Islamic State of Cotabato).

Bai said she was convinced to join the group three years ago due to its outreach programs for the youth and Muslim orphans.

Datu, on the other hand, said he was forced to stop his studies and could not find decent work to help his family after being involved in the group.

They said the recruitment into the group happened in their village. Recruitment was also being done in schools targeting young conservative and Muslim converts.

Colonel Wilbur Mamawag, commander of Joint Task Force Kutawato, appealed to media not to give full details yet about the surrenderees as they hope to convince more members to surrender.

The two surrenderees will be given security by the Task Force amid threats of retaliation. They will also undergo de-radicalization.

Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, head of the inter-agency task force in the city, said Dawlah Islamiyah Cotabato has an estimated 300 youth members.

Sayadi said it took a year to convince the two to surrender to authorities.

"May mga involvement nga ang mga ito at andito sila to voluntarily surrender and maganda na rin 'yun rather 'yung nagtatago sila and 'di nila alam anong mangyayari while the arrest warrant are still subsisting until now," she said.

The names of the two surrenderees were included in the martial law order released by the Department of National Defense.

The military said Bai and Datu were among the recruits brought to the mountainous part of Barangay Butril, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on the pretext of joining a religious mission.

It turned out to be a combat training ground of the ISIS-linked Ansar Al Khilafah (AKP) led by slain leader Commander Tokboy. The group is said to be a counterpart of the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf in Central Mindanao.

In 2015, Philippine Marines from the 1st Marine Landing Team led the raid on the training ground. A firefight ensued, killing seven of Tokboy’s men including foreign nationals believed to be Malaysian and Indonesian bombers. —KG, GMA News