Intelligence chief Major General Eduardo Año says it may be an Abu Sayyaf ploy to seek financial help
LOYALTY TO THE ISLAMIC STATE. Senior Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon swears allegiance to
The Philippine military's spy chief downplayed the video of senior Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon swearing an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State in
Major General
Eduardo Año, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (ISAFP), told Rappler it is a case of the Abu Sayyaf giving
"moral support" to the jihadist group and not the other way around.
"It does not
bother us....It does not mean anything because hindi naman magpapadala ng
fighters ang ISIS dito sa atin. May
sarili silang problema doon (ISIS will
not send fighters here because they have their own problems there)," Año
said in a phone interview on Wednesday, August 6.
It may be a ploy
to seek financial support, he said. "Matagal na kasing walang
financial support ang ASG (The ASG has not been receiving financial
support for a long time). That is why they resorted to kidnapping."
Año also said the
military does not feel threatened by the video. "It doesn't matter,
actually, as long as there are no physical forces, additional manpower,
financial support or bomb components that will be sent to the Philippines
The video
uploaded in July shows Hapilon and several masked men swearing their oath of
allegiance to the IS. The US Rewards for Justice Program
has offered a reward of up to $5 million for the arrest or conviction of
several Abu Sayyaf leaders, including Hapilon.
It is the 3rd video to show
Muslim Filipino militants pledging allegiance to the IS. Australian-born ISIS supporter
Musa Cerantinio was also arrested in Cebu
in July and was shortly deported.
Año denied
reports that Filipino fighters have joined the ISIS .
The Abu Sayyaf
previously joined the Black Flag Movement to symbolize its support for Al Qaeda
and the Indonesia-based Jema'ah Islamiyah, but Año said the local terrorist
group have not received support for a long time, forcing them to focus on
kidnapping. (Read: Al-Qaeda's black flag seized in
ASG camp)
The military has
stepped up operations against the Abu Sayyaf – said to be around 400. Año said
there is an ongoing manhunt for Hapilon who was supposedly last spotted in
Basilan in July.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/65465-abu-sayyaf-isis-downplayed
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.