Maute ISIS remnant-surrenderees receive cash assistance from Piagapo LGU
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| Piagapo town mayor Ali Sumandar presents a cash assistance to Amerol Muto who surrenders to the government together with other Maute ISIS remnants in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur. (RSO/RSP) |
PIAGAPO, Lanao del Sur: Three remnants of the ISIS-inspired Maute group here who surrendered to the military received cash assistance from the local government unit of Piagapo, this province on Thursday.
The three who came from this municipality are among those five who returned to the fold of the law on October 16, 2018 and January 14, 2019. The other two are from the municipality of Marantao, this province.
1Lt Alvin dela Cruz, Inf PA, commanding officer of the Charlie Company, 82nd IB, 3rd ID, Philippine Army, identified the five surrenderees as Amerol Muto, Jamil Dimacaling, Opao Macatoon, Jalal Boriongan and Karim Ibrahim.
Muto, Dimacaling and Macatoon are all from Piagapo while Boriongan and Ibrahim are from Marantao municipality, Lanao del Sur. Piagapo and Marantao are within the 82nd IB Charlie Company area of operations.
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| Left: 1Lt Alvin dela Cruz, INF PA, commanding officer of Charlie Company, 82IB, 3ID, PA, receives certificate of appreciation from Piagapo town mayor Ali Sumandar commending him and his company for a job well done. (RSO) |
In an interview, 1Lt Dela Cruz whose company is based in Barangay Gacap of this town, said the surrenderees also turned over their assorted firearms and ammunition.
Muto turned over one unit M79 Grenade Launcher with ammunition; Dimacaling turned over one unit Cal. 45 automatic pistol with ammunition; Macatoon, one unit Ingram sub-machinegun with ammunition; Boriongan, one unit M1 Garand Rifle; and Ibrahim, one unit RPG with ammunition.
According to the surrenderees, they were recruited by a certain Imam Avelino Dimaarip Dimacaling to join the misguided terrorist group with false ideology.
Dimacaling died during the five-month Marawi Siege in 2017 perpetrated by the Maute-ISIS and Abu Sayaf groups which started last May 23, 2017, and lasted until October of the same year when the government declared the city liberated from the terrorists, leaving 24 of the city 96 barangays totally ruined and thousands of evacuees.
Municipal mayor Ali Sumandar in turning over the assistance said Piagapo-LGU by virtue of a Sangguniang Bayan resolution is providing P25,000.00 cash assistance to every Muate-ISIS remnant in Piagapo who surrenders to the government to start a new life.
Sumandar added surrenderees from Piagapo who were validated by the military will also be provided with livelihood training especially from the Technical Education, Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) and other agencies.
The town mayor also presented on Thursday a certificate of appreciation to 1Lt dela Cruz and his company for their untiring and relentless effort in the campaign for peace and security in the municipality.
Saiben Abubacar, chairman of Gacap barangay (village) here, accompanied the surrenderees to the municipal hall when they received the cash assistance from the LGU chief executive.
Abubacar helped in facilitating the surrender of the five and other 14 Maute-ISIS remnants who surrendered earlier to the military.
Meanwhile, following the clash on Thursday between the military and the Maute-ISIS remnants in Sultan Dumalondong, Lanao del Sur, Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of the Philippine Army's 103rd “Haribon” Infantry Brigade, reassured the general public that the recent deliberate military operations will not affect the current tranquility in Marawi City.
“This will not have any sensible effect in the Islamic City of Marawi,” Brawner stressed, adding that the security sector is ‘keeping their eye against the remaining members of Maute-ISIS’ to protect the people of Lanao del Sur from the spread of violent extremism.
“Our security forces from the AFP, PNP and the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) are well postured to secure Marawi City,” Brawner assured.
The military vowed to thwart any attempt of the Maute-ISIS to spread its wrong ideologies again especially that the rehabilitation of the conflict-affected city is now going on. (MNY)
Meanwhile, following the clash on Thursday between the military and the Maute-ISIS remnants in Sultan Dumalondong, Lanao del Sur, Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of the Philippine Army's 103rd “Haribon” Infantry Brigade, reassured the general public that the recent deliberate military operations will not affect the current tranquility in Marawi City.
“This will not have any sensible effect in the Islamic City of Marawi,” Brawner stressed, adding that the security sector is ‘keeping their eye against the remaining members of Maute-ISIS’ to protect the people of Lanao del Sur from the spread of violent extremism.
“Our security forces from the AFP, PNP and the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) are well postured to secure Marawi City,” Brawner assured.
The military vowed to thwart any attempt of the Maute-ISIS to spread its wrong ideologies again especially that the rehabilitation of the conflict-affected city is now going on. (MNY)
By MASIDING NOOR YAHYA and ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL
