AFP shows video of alleged looting by Maute members

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday presented an aerial footage of alleged acts of pillaging or looting being committed by Maute group members in the main battle area in Marawi City.

“We can see items, boxes, sacks being taken from a seemingly residential building,” Joint Task Force (JTF) Marawi deputy commander Col. Romeo Brawner said Friday.

The video is undated and the exact location is still being determined by authorities.

“This reinforces the revelations of rescued former hostages that the terrorists are looting important materials inside the MBA,” Brawner said.

Reports of looting by the terrorists have surfaced since the early part of the crisis that started May 23. Accounts of hostages who were rescued or escaped have said that the terrorists looted houses and establishments.

Government forces also recovered ATM money vaults from Landbank, which was turned over to the bank’s manager.

They also recovered a sack containing coins believed to be used as shrapnel by terrorists in making improvised explosive devices.

Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia of JTF Marawi said the terrorists were using other kinds of metals such as nails and bolts as shrapnels.

“In previous incidents we are wondering why some wounded have coins in their wounds. Ito pala yun, ngayon natin establish na ginagamit nila ang mga coins sa shrapnel (This was it. Now we can establish that they are using coins as shrapnel),” he said. /jpv