Islamic State Leader Orders Marawi Clash, President Duterte Says
President Duterte said that the clash in Marawi City between the Maute terror group and government forces has been ordered by the leader of Islamic State (IS).
On Sunday (June 11, 2017), President Rodrigo Duterte told the reporters in Cagayan de Oro City that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has ordered the terrorist activities done by Maute group who fought back the government forces.
The extended gun battle between the terrorist and government troops in Marawi City turned the entire city into a chaotic scenery, which severely affects its residents. Duterte also said that there are so many innocent people became a victim of the sporadic firefight in the city.
“We suffered several casualties. I did not expect it to be that serious. Now, it turned out that Baghdadi himself, the leader of the ISIS, has specifically ordered terroristic activities here in the Philippines,” said by Duterte quoted by Philstar.
Previously, the president was linking the Maute group with IS and interpreted that the terrorist promotes violence against non-Muslims. He also said that both police and militaries told him that the situation in Mindanao become critical.
Mr. Duterte has already declared martial law throughout the entire Mindanao region to control the situation due to the deafening exchange of gun fires between Maute group and government forces in Marawi City.
The president also claimed that the drug problem in the country has been used to divert the attention of the current administration away from the terrorist. He also said that drugs were fueling the terrorism in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Senator Chiz Escudero forfeiture laws, Anti-Terrorism Financing Act of 2012, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act can be applied be applied to Maute clan and other suspected financiers.
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