Ni Francis T. Wakefield

Patuloy na bineberipika ng militar ang impormasyon na may 23 armadong grupo ang nagtutulong-tulong sa ilalim ng ISIS Philippines.

Sa isang panayam, sinabi ni AFP spokesman at concurrent Civil Relations Service (CRS) chief Brig. Gen. Bienvenidoo Datuin na imino-monitor nila ito sa tulong ng Philippine National Police (PNP) at ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

“We are trying to confirm that, the veracity of that information. As of yesterday informal reports came in regarding the matter and (the) intelligence community, operations and people on the ground are trying to confirm that,” sabi ni Datuin.

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“Hindi natin binabalewala. Sabi ko nga sa inyo complete ‘yung monitoring natin. Tuluy-tuloy ang monitoring natin with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police (PNP) and of course, we have the protocols, the conventions, the trilateral and bilateral conventions and protoctols and agreements with other countries. So tuluy-tuloy ‘yung ating aerial, ‘yung ating coastal water monitoring,” sabi niya.

Nang tanungin kung mayroon silang impormasyon kung buhay pa at nakikipagtulungan sa mga armado sa Mindanao ang IS-affiliated militants na sina Amin Bako, Muayiyah at Abu Toraype, sinabi ni Datuin na hindi nila hawak ang mga pangalan ng mga taong sangkot.

“But as we said there are groups, remnant groups from the Marawi (siege) that are still at it, meaning they are still organizing, recruiting and retraining and we cannot discount the possibility of a plan, another attack and that is what we are trying to preempt,” pahayag ni Datuin.