Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Military and police units based in Mindanao are “closely monitoring” the activities of suspected sympathizers of the Muslim extremist group Islamic State, or IS, who have reportedly joined forces with the Abu Sayyaf terror group, according to Malacañang.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Sunday said that “at all times, the authorities are closely monitoring the activities of these suspected militants, especially those who are capable of sowing terror and violence in communities in the southern Philippines.”
Speaking during the weekly “Pilipinas, Pilipinas” public affairs program over state-run Radyo ng Bayan, Coloma, however, did not provide details of the “particular antiterrorist operations being conducted” by the government.
But he assured the public the authorities were “taking a close look at the situation to ensure the peace and safety of the residents of these communities.”
Late last year, US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said he was not convinced that IS had reached the Philippines.
“I have no confirmation that IS is present in the Philippines… there have been statements made here alleging some sort of involvement with IS (but) we have no confirmation of that,” Goldberg had told reporters during a visit to Zamboanga City.
Goldberg said that with all sorts of claims being made, the public should “take it all with a grain of salt.”
On reports that some Philippine nationals had gone to the Middle East to flght alongside IS, he said the US government was concerned.
Goldberg also said he was aware that the Armed Forces of the Philippines “takes the issue very seriously as we do and we’ll keep a close eye on it.”
But “everybody should not take these reports at face value,” he had said.
Recently, however, pictures have come out in newspapers, including the Inquirer, of supposed Filipino Muslim sympathizers of IS displaying the black and white flag of the international terrorist group at their encampment.
But the veracity of the photographs had not been ascertained.–Jerry E. Esplanada