(Eagle News) – The Philippine National Police said the situation in Marawi City is slowly dying down as government forces started slowly containing local terrorists, the Maute group, who are seeking recognition from the international Islamist State terror group ISIS.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos also advised media and the public not to be an instrument for propaganda of the Maute group, which is seeking to promote themselves in social media.
“Nag-aapila po kami sa public, doon sa posting sa social media, so as not to create further panic sa public,” Carlos said in a press conference.
“Kaya po ingat na ingat po kami sa pagbibigay ng impormasyon so as not to create panic sa ating public.”
Carlos said that the sporadic gunfire being reported in supposedly “eyewitness accounts” being played by some news media are just the Maute group members trying to scare the public.
“Yung sporadic gunfire, it’s more of harassing sa public, habang sila ay nag-momove,” he explained.
Additional gov’t forces in Marawi City
He said additional forces – both from the police and the military – have been deployed to the areas in Marawi City to hunt down the remaining Maute terrorists who are trying to divert the attention of the government forces who are out to get Muslim extremist leader Isnilon Hapilon.
“Yung additional forces as we speak, nandoon na po iyon, to better secure the other parts of the city, and be able to contain (the Maute group),” Carlos said.
Maute is not ISIS
The PNP spokesperson also stressed that there was still no ISIS in the Philippines, saying that the Maute group is still courting the support of the terrorist group. The Maute group, in fact, has not yet been recognized by the international terrorist group ISIS.
“I-klaro po natin, walang ISIS. (Let’s make it clear. There is no ISIS). They are a local terror group, they are the Maute group. They are trying to get the support of the ISIS,” Carlos said.
“Wala pong ISIS dito. They are not even recognized yet,” he said.
Carlos said there was sporadic gunfight Tuesday night, but that the government forces were not fully engaging the terrorists in consideration of the public’s safety.
He reiterated the call of the AFP for the public to pass information on the Maute group members location directly to the military or police, and not to post it in social media, or report it to the media first.
“There seems to be an effort na ilabas sa social media na ito ay malaking malaking insidente,” he said.
Public safety, national interest first
“We are not toning down the issue. We are doing this so as not to allow propaganda.. And we hope po na maiwasan po natin ito. We are again appealing, let us look for the national interest first,” Carlos said in a televised press briefing.
Carlos said that there was a deliberate effort on the part of government forces not to engage the Maute terrorists fully where there are civilians who are in the streets.
“The priority is the safety of the public, para hindi po sila maipit sa crossfire,” he said.
Many residents have been ordered to evacuate Tuesday afternoon after Maute group members were seen in certain parts of Marawi City.
Carlos also repeated the advice of the AFP for the public to stay indoors and to be vigilant, especially civilians who have not been evacuated to military camps yet.
The PNP spokesperson also assured the public that the government forces would not be doing anything that is beyond the law, even as martial law had already been declared in the whole of Mindanao.
“We will perform based on what is allowed by law and the Constitution,” Carlos said.