CBCP: Deaths Of Maute Terrorist Leaders Don’t Mean End Of Terror In The Philippines

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Monday warned the killing of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon and Maute leader Omar Maute in conflict-stricken Marawi City will not mean the end of the terrorism in the Mindanao region.

“Rejoicing in the death of these terrorists will merely be temporary. Their death doesn’t mean the end of terror groups in the country,” CBCP-Permanent Committee on Public Affairs executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said in a statement released by church-run Radio Veritas.

Fr. Secillano instead urged the government to focus on the economy of Mindanao and educate its citizens properly to veer them away from terrorist ideals.

“There must be a holistic approach to thwarting terrorism. Education, employment, poverty eradication and infrastructure development should only be some of the measures that this government should undertake if only to dismantle or at least weaken the influence of terrorist cells,” he said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had earlier confirmed the deaths of Hapilon and Maute following an early Monday morning assault in Marawi City.

Secretary Lorenzana said they will announce the termination of hostilities once government forces have ensured that there are no more terrorists-stragglers in Marawi and they have cleared all structures of improvised explosive device and other traps.

Government troops also recovered at least five more corpses from the main battle area, while at least 17 remaining hostages have been rescued.

Meanwhile, Marawi Bishop Edwin Dela Peña welcomed the deaths of the local terror group leaders, saying it signals the beginning of the end for the more than four-month long crisis.

“Secretary Lorenzana just did the confirmation of the death of the two top leaders of the Marawi siege. Crumbling leadership signals the beginning of the end,” Bishop Dela Peña said.

Bishop Dela Peña earlier said the Catholic Church will not celebrate the end of the conflict until all hostages of the Maute group, particularly two workers of the St. Mary’s Cathedral, have been rescued.

The workers were among the six people abducted by the Maute group in May along with Vicar General Fr. Chito Suganob, who was freed from his captors last month.

Source: GMA News