Who's the real enemy in Duterte's terror war?

When war in Marawi started on May 23, military officials categorically stated the Maute is just an extortionist group seeking Daesh's approval. But a few hours later, after President Duterte placed the Mindanao Island under martial law, the script changed.

Two weeks of continuous air strikes and bombing have turned Marawi into a war zone, much like the city of Aleppo in Syria. The military claims they have retaken Marawi, but at a significant cost. Thousands have lost their homes and face uncertainty. Meanwhile, there is no sign of arrest of the Maute brothers or Isnilon Hapilon, who are the main targets and triggered the war.

The military is seeking a victory that is not easy, and one that plays into the hands of the ragtag Maute and Hapilon. After the bombs and air strikes, the smoke leaves us unclear on who this enemy is and how big a threat this is.

The beginnings of the Maute have often been reported in the news. It is a group led by brothers Abdullah and Omar, who studied in Jordan and Egypt respectively. They come from Butig, one of the poorest towns in Lanao del Sur with a population of 19,000. It lies 52km south of Marawi. Butig is also where Camp Bushra of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is situated. While the MILF struggles with a peace deal with the government for autonomy, some disgruntled fighters have chosen to join the brothers.

Police reports classify the Maute as a private army hired by political clans in Lanao del Sur. The province is also reported as a centre of drugs and other illegal businesses that could have offered economic lifeline to the Mautes. The former mayor of Marawi is now arrested for his involvement with the group but no charges have been filed as yet.

The Maute group has figured in the public in clashes with government troops in 2016, and survived an air strike attack in Butig. In one of the attacks, government troops recovered Daesh materials from their camp.

The Mautes figured outside Lanao del Sur when three of their members were seized in Cotabato and charged for bombing a night market in Davao City in September 2016. Defence minister Delfin Lorenzana said the suspects were aided by the Abu Sayyaf group, whose leader is Hapilon.

Around this time, the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict released information that the Mautes were linked to Ustadz Sanusi, a suspected Indonesian terrorist who was based in Lanao for six years until his death in a police operation in 2012. The paper claimed Sanusi is the mentor of the Mautes and may have linked the group with different networks including the fugitive Marwan, who was killed in Mamasapano in 2016.

The report also said the Mautes formerly operated under the name of Khilafah Islamiyah Mindanao. The group was identified for bombing a restaurant strip in Cagayan de Oro in July 2013 that killed six people.

The question remains whether this group could muster enough numbers to stake their claim to a territory in Mindanao. Security analysts point out that the small number of the Maute and their inability to control a territory for a long period, which makes their status as a caliphate unlikely. Another factor is the status of Hapilon, who abandoned Basilan after intense military operations early this year and had to seek Maute's protection. Interestingly, a US Congress report in 2016 also did not include the Philippines as a Daesh territory and categorised it as "Daesh-inspired".

Reports showed the group's lack of influence in Lanao del Sur. In their town of Butig and even in Marawi, people refused to subscribe to the Maute's interpretation of Islam of banning non-Muslims into their place. Muslims and non-Muslims co-exist in the province. Marawi also opened its doors for Catholic and Protestant churches and schools, and hosts the main campus of the Mindanao State University.

The Maute group in Mindanao could be further hindered as the MILF has established a "peace corridor" to secure Marawi residents, and shield their territories from attacks. The Communist Party of the Philippines also issued a similar order to its New People's Army to protect territories that cover a wider part of Mindanao.

Duterte has vowed to neutralise this group at all costs, even if it means risking civil liberties and the burden of rebuilding Marawi. Analysts point out that if only government in the past had addressed the issue of the Muslim secessionists' call for autonomy, such problems and groups would have ceased long ago.

Tyrone Velez is a freelance writer and columnist for a Davao newspaper

Source: Khaleej Times