Daesh-inspired Maute group declining — Army

The Philippine Army disclosed that remnants of the local Daesh-inspired Maute rebel group operating in the boundaries of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte are now "losing the ground."

PA commanding officer General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the security forces are confident that they will be able to annihilate the remaining members of the Daesh-inspired local terrorists — commonly referred to as the Maute-ISIS group in Lanao areas.

"There is still a small group operating in the Lanao areas that are operating in the boundaries of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte but they have already weakened. Previously from a big group of around 1,000 during the Marawi siege, they were down from 40 to 45 only," Brawner said during the Department of National Defense's budget hearing before the House Committee on Appropriations on Thursday.

Brawner said the local terrorist group, which was responsible for the infamous five-month-long siege in Marawi City on 23 May 2017, is now having a hard time recruiting new members due to financial constraints and lack of support from the Lanao residents.

"The Army units on the ground are addressing these concerns on terrorist remnants," Brawner said.

Lanao del Norte Representative Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, meanwhile, expressed full support for funding the DND and the peace-building efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"I believe that the primary duty of the government is to protect its citizens," Dimaporo said as he expressed worries about the possible resurgence of Maute-ISIS in the Lanao areas and its nearby provinces.

He also emphasized that the lack of support to the AFP and Philippine National Police may result in the "security forces' inability to maintain peace and order" in the country.

"And this is another reason why I fully support the budget and operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines because I don't want that nightmare, that experience of Marawi to ever happen again in Lanao region," Dimaporo said.