AN INTELLIGENCE official in Northern Mindanao on Wednesday, June 20, allayed fears that the renewed fighting between the military and Isis-inspired terrorists in Lanao del Sur could spill over to other areas in the region.
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica)-Northern Mindanao director Manuel Orduña said the clashes in some towns in Lanao del Sur are just part of normal military and police operations.
But Orduña said the military continues to exert pressure as the group still poses a threat to security.
“Yung sa Lanao del Sur remnants na lang yun small group na nakatakas sa Marawi pero wala kaming nakita na may spill over kasi wala naman silang suporta. In fact galit nga mga kababayan nilang Maranaw pero the Armed Forces is still exerting pressure kasi they still pose a threat (They are just remnants, a small group which escaped from Marawi so we don’t see the fighting spilling over because they have no support. In fact, their fellow Maranaos are angry at them. But the AFP is still exerting pressure because they still pose a threat),” Orduña said.
Orduña also said the extremist group had plotted a series of attacks in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro at the height of the Marawi City siege but these were not carried out due to the alert level raised by the security forces in the region.
The Nica-Northern Mindanao has placed Cagayan de Oro under alert level 3 even until now due to the volume of reports received by the intelligence community including the military and the police and the proximity of the city to the conflict areas.
Orduña, however, said personalities sympathetic to the terror group have attempted to sneak into the city but were intercepted and arrested.
Early this month, authorities arrested two nurses who are alleged members of the Maute Terror Group at a checkpoint in the city.
Orduña said the couple, Eyadzhemar Abdusalam and Catherine Dianne Palmitos were considered high-value targets.
“It means to say that they provided support and through social media they are recruiting not only in the Philippines but also abroad,” Orduña said.
The two were now detained and are facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Superintendent Mardy Hortillosa, spokesman of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, assured that policemen have remained vigilant and alert to ensure members or supporters of threat groups will not be able to enter the city.
He said border control, security inspections at various checkpoints, prophylactic and preventive patrol, quick response and intelligence sharing have all been intensified to ensure safety and security.