Confusion over conflicting statements on Marawi crisis
MANILA — The Philippine government issued conflicting statements over the situation of Marawi City, painting a confusing picture after a clash between government troops and a local terror group.
President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao in response to clashes in Marawi City that began Tuesday afternoon.
Maute Group, a group inspired by the international terrorist Islamic State, reportedly laid siege to Marawi City.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) insisted that the Islamic State or ISIS does not have presence in the country.
Though the Maute pledged allegiance to the ISIS, there is no evidence that the international group has provided the local extremists with resources, experts say.
"'Pagpinapangalanan natin ang local terrorist group, pinapapogi natin sila, pinapasikat natin sila (When we call them ISIS, we are making them famous). We don't have ISIS in the Philippines," Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP public affairs chief, said.
The secretary of defense, however, has a different take on the issue.
"It is actually Maute or ISIS because they are the same," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a press briefing.
Lorenzana added that he believes that the attack in Marawi City has international backing.
"There have been reports that came to me from Baghdad that they are already seeing these pictures in the website of ISIS," the defense chief said.
Southeast Asia security analyst Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, said there is no evidence to date that the IS has given the Maute resources.
Asked why the president declared martial law over all of Mindanao, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella only said, "Well, that is the declaration of the president, all right?"
"Because there are also problems in Zamboanga, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and also in Central Mindanao, in the BIFF area," Lorenzana said.
Meanwhile, Marawi Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra said that the attackers were a combined group of members of Maute and Abu Sayyaf.
Lorenzana and Gandamra also gave conflicting statements on the situation of the city. The Defense secretary claimed that that Marawi city hall was burned while the mayor said that it was not.
Gandamra also refused to comment on whether the local terror group took hostages. The mayor said that the attack in his city was just a diversionary tactic.
Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Peña, on the other hand, said that the local terror group abducted a priest and churchgoers after burning down the Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians.