Abu Sayyaf plans to raise ISIS flag in town hall’s compound in Basilan

From GMA News (Jul 9): Abu Sayyaf plans to raise ISIS flag in town hall’s compound in Basilan

Security forces have fortified Tipo-Tipo, Basilan after uncovering an Abu Sayyaf Group's (ASG) plan to attack the town hall and raise an ISIS flag in the local government's compound, a police official said Saturday.

Basilan Provincial Police Office director Senior Superintendent Oscar Nantes said that he placed the whole police force in Tipo-Tipo on full alert in anticipation of the attack.

Nantes said military personnel have augmented the police's security around the municipal hall.

He said the information on the ASG's plan came six days ago. As the police received the information, the military started pounding known lairs of the ASG in Tipo-Tipo.

The military said its air assets have been dropping bombs on ASG's lairs in Tipo-Tipo along with cannons fired by troops from the Philippine Army's 64th and 18th Infantry Battalion.

Basilan Governor Jim Hataman said eight barangays in the town of Tipo-Tipo, Albarka and Ungkaya Pukan have been affected by the miltary's offensive against the bandits. The areas affected include Migcawa, Bohepiang, Sitio Layohan, Baguindan, Silangkim, Tipo-tipo proper, Sungkayut, and Bohesuyak.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office reported that as of Friday, a total of 1,312 families have been displaced due to the offensive.

Malacañang on Saturday said that the government will continue to pursue the ASG despite President Rodrigo Duterte's announcement that he does not see the bandits as criminals.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella clarified that Duterte was just providing a context for the ASG's actions.

"Hindi po niya (Duterte) pinapalampas ‘yung mga ginawa nila, pero nilalagay lang po niya in context ‘yung mga, ‘yung kanilang pinaggagawa, that they were forced to desperation," Abella said in an interview over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

In his visit in Zamboanga City, Armed Forces chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya said that Duterte is serious in fighting the ASG. Visaya said that Duterte himself ordered him to provide a report on the results of the military's actions against the bandits in three to six months. 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/573061/news/regions/abu-sayyaf-plans-to-raise-isis-flag-in-town-hall-s-compound-in-basilan