Terrorist forms new moro rebel group

From the Manila Standard Today (Oct 8): Terrorist forms new moro rebel group

A new rebel movement formed by three notorious militants, one of whom reportedly has links with the Southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiya, had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS).

Former Chief Supt. Rodolfo “Boogie” Mendoza and top intelligence officer, who is currently the president of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) identified the new rebel movement as the Bangsamoro Justice Movement (BJM).

Islamist bomb expert Abdul Basit Usman
(unmasked) posted a propaganda video of this
group after swearing allegiance to the Islamic
State last September 21.

Mendoza said the BJM was established in July by Mohammad Ali Tambaco, former Vice Chairman for Political Affairs of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Usman Basit Usman, operations commander of the BIFF and a bomb expert with links to Malaysian JI operative Zulkifli Abdul Khir, also known as ‘Marwan’ and Abdul Jan Pagao, reportedly the former political affairs officer of the BIFF.

Mendoza, however, said he has no idea of the BJM’s objectives at the moment, but surmised that the new group ‘could be another rebel faction.’

Sources earlier told Manila Standard that some of the members of the newly-formed rebel movement were BIFF rebels recruited by Basit. This was, however, denied by the Moro National Liberation Front.

MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza said the present members of the BJM were actually disgruntled MILF rebels who were strongly opposed to the ‘disarmament’ provisions of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement (BFA).

“It is not true that Usman Basit had recruited BIFF members to his fold. What we learned is that he was recruiting MILF rebels particularly those opposed to the disarmament provisions of the (BFA),” Cerveza said.

As to the group’s direction, Cerveza said “it (BJM) is moving to the direction of linking the group to the ISIS.”

Mendoza said Tambaco was expelled by BIFF leader Ameril Umbra Kato for his involvement in a beheading incident sometime in 2012.

Basit, on the other hand, is a leader of Ansar al Khilafah in the Philippines, which literally means ‘Supporter of the Caliphate (Islamic State). He is also a former member of the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group before linking with the BIFF.

Basit is also on the wanted list of the US State Department, which offers a $1 million dollar bounty for his capture.

Both Basit and Marwan, also a most-wanted terrorist with a $5 million dollar bounty, joined foreign jihadists in training  recruits for the BJM and Al Ansar Khilifa.

Pagao, a Libyan-educated Muslim missionary or ‘ulama’ was arrested in 2006 in Maguindanao for his alleged links with international terrorists, but was later released.

Meanwhile, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujib Hataman said his office is closely monitoring possible recruitment activities by IS operatives in various school institutions within his jurisdiction.

Hataman, however, said the ARMM has yet to come across with any validated reports that universities and colleges in the region had been infiltrated by the ISIS although some students had reportedly expressed support to the teachings of the Islamic state.

“It’s possible that they are symphatizing and in support of the ISIS declaration but it doesn’t mean they are already ISIS members,” Hataman said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/10/08/terrorist-forms-new-moro-rebel-group/