New Philippine Militant Group Emerges, Complicates Efforts to End Marawi Siege

A new armed group has emerged in the southern Philippines, threatening to wage war against the government and Islamic State for bringing death and destruction to Marawi, the only Islamic city in the south of the largely Catholic country.

Calling itself the Maranao Victims Movement, the group is shown in a 14-minute video posted on social media demanding that the fighting end and the rights of Marawi’s more than 200,000 residents be restored.

Failing this, the group said it had no choice but to invoke jihad on the army and the IS-inspired militants. The group is shown clad in black shirts and armed heavily with grenade launchers and high-powered firearms. They speak the local Maranao dialect and shout Allahu Akbar (God is great).

Abu Ayla Mawaraw, the group’s spokesman, told BenarNews Tuesday that they wanted the militants to leave the city and release their remaining hostages.

Civilians should also be allowed to return to their homes in areas cleared by the military, and the government should immediately cease its aerial bombardment that has reduced much of Marawi to rubble, Mawaraw said.

It warned the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups that if they ignored their call “we would be compelled to face you because by then you no longer care for the welfare of the people and you did not only fail to realize but have violated the essence of jihad in Islam,” the group said.

“To the government, this will be the last time that we will ask in relation to previous demands of various sectors of the Maranaw society, and that if the foregoing demands will fall to deaf ears, likewise, we will be compelled to fight for our rights that have been trampled upon,” it said.

Maranao or Maranaw is a term used to describe ethnic Malay Muslims who live around Lake Lanao on the southern island of Mindanao. Most residents of Marawi are Maranao.

‘We take it seriously’

The military on Tuesday said it was taken by surprise by the announcement, and was trying to ascertain if the group was legitimate.

But its emergence complicates a government assault already on its 154th day to force out the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups whose ranks are believed to have fallen to about 80 from more than 600 when the battle began on May 23.

Military officials have said the fighting was nearing its end, as government forces have retaken key enemy strongholds, and rescued a Catholic priest at the weekend. But several Southeast Asian fighters are still believed to be fighting alongside Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged leader of the IS in the region.

Mawaraw said group members included Marawi evacuees whose relatives were slain inside the city.

“What is more (painful) is that their remains have yet to be retrieved. It’s almost four months now that we have been seeking shelters in evacuation centers or among our relatives’ homes in different towns,” he said. “Consequently, some passed away while many others fell sick, prompting us to unite and call to form our group.”

Army Col. Romeo Brawner, the head of local forces in Marawi, said top military officials in the south are investigating the group. The video it posted on Facebook Monday has since been taken down.

“We do not belittle this group. We take it seriously because they could encourage people outside of Marawi who have no idea what is really going on here,” Brawner said.

At least 670 militants, 149 soldiers and 47 civilians had been killed in Marawi since fighting erupted on May 23.