Military recovers Maute ‘warriors’ training video

The military on Monday recovered an alleged Maute group training video made days before the attack on Marawi City.

An exclusive report by GMA News' Marisol Abdurahman on 24 Oras quoted a source saying the video was captured in April at the ISIS-inspired terrorists' stronghold in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur.

The video showed several individuals, including minors, training in hand-to-hand combat.

The AFP has said that the video only proves that the Maute group prepared well for their attack on the Lanao del Sur capital.

President Rodrigo Duterte and the military leadership themselves said that the government is facing an enemy who holds the vantage points on the ground.

"Nakapwesto na silang lahat. They were already deployed on vantage position. Kumbaga sa away ito, umaakyat ang mga sundalo ko na sila [Maute group] nasa on top of the mountain. So ang target nila nasa baba, yun ang Armed Forces," Duterte said in a speech last week.

On Sunday, Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. affirmed Duterte's statements, saying the enemy's sniper positions contributed to the killing of 13 Marines last Friday.

"Ang defensive unit normally [has] the advantage. Sila [Maute group] ang nasa advantage kasi nasa taas sila e. If they had 10 snipers, one sniper each kaagad 'yan in a few minutes they can hit 10 [soldiers]," Galvez said.

Nonetheless, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the arrest of Maute matriarch Ominta Romato Maute, alias Farhana, dealt a "severe blow" to the terrorist group.

"Farhana is known as the local terrorist group's adviser, financier, and provider owing to her vast financial resources drawn locally and abroad. Aside from that, she has strong influence on the Maute children. Hence her arrest deals a severe blow," Lorenzana said.

Family patriarch Cayamora Maute and other family members were also arrested last week at a checkpoint in Davao City. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/BM, GMA News