AFP hunting down new IS regional ‘emir’

Security forces are going after a certain Abu Dar, said to be one of the leaders of the Maute group behind the five-month siege of Marawi City last year.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Dar had managed to slip past the military cordon in Marawi, carrying with him a large amount of cash purportedly to finance terrorist activities in other areas in Mindanao.

The military has identified Dar as the new regional Islamic State (IS) leader. He is known to be a Maranao sub-leader of the Maute and one of the militants who attacked and occupied Marawi City last year.

Dar succeeded Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who was killed during an encounter with government forces last October.

Esperon stressed many foreign terrorists were monitored during the Marawi siege.

He also revealed security forces are closely monitoring the activities of known terrorists and validating reports that 23 militant groups have joined forces as IS-Philippines.

He said the reports prompted the deployment of 50 percent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops in Mindanao.

According to Esperon, the defense department is not likely to recommend the early withdrawal of martial law implementation in Mindanao.

“We requested for the extension of martial law for the rest of the year, so I think there’s no point in ending martial law that we requested,” he said.

Esperon assured the public anew that the martial law imposed by the President in Mindanao “is not the kind of martial law we know,” referring to the military rule during the regime of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

“Remember that local governments and executives are functioning and in their positions, the military has not taken over the civilian functions,” he said.

Esperon said the government remains serious in going after the Islamic militants to thwart any attempt to establish a caliphate in the country.

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bienvenido Datuin had said the military and other government agencies are taking all reports of terrorist threats seriously.

A senior military official gave assurance that Metro Manila remains free of any verified threat from local and foreign militants.

He said troops are now deployed in key areas of the metropolis with specific missions to touch base with Muslim communities in their respective areas of assignment.

“On our end, we are continuously coordinating and planning to keep in touch with Muslim communities in Metro Manila, especially with their religious and business leaders,” the security official said.

This coordination is aimed at countering and preventing extremism and violence within the ranks of Muslim communities, he said.

For now, the official added the security situation in entire Metro Manila remains stable, despite the possible presence of Islamic militants.

In a related development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has junked the criminal charges against the arrested Egyptian tagged by authorities as IS “commander.”

In a seven-page resolution, the DOJ dismissed the charges of illegal possession of explosive devices and firearms filed against Fehmi Lassqued and his Filipina partner Anabel Salipada.

The DOJ held the Philippine National Police (PNP) failed to prove its allegation that explosive devices, including four pipes, two batteries, three capacitors, two integrated circuits, three battery clips and 11 resistors as well as a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition, were seized from the couple during their arrest.

“Basic and well-established is the rule that the party alleging has the burden of substantiating his allegation and any declaration or assertion not so substantiated is, at best, a self-serving statement or declaration which is inadmissible in evidence for being hearsay,” the DOJ said.

The DOJ instead bought the defense of respondents, saying the PNP submitted false information in its complaint. –