Engineer arrested for being alleged recruiter for terrorist groups

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Military agents arrested in Cotabato City an engineer working at the city engineering’s office for being an alleged recruiter for the Islamic State-inspired Ansar Al-Khilafa Philippines (AKP), the Maute Group, and the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Nasser Dilangalen, 57, was arrested at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, a day after police in nearby Parang town in Maguindanao rescued five recruits of the Maute Group while preparing to travel to Marawi City.

Dilangalen, construction and engineering maintenance general foreman, was arrested by operatives of the Army-led Task Force Kutawato and Cotabato City police office. He did not resist arrest.

The lawmen were implementing Arrest, Seize and Seizure Order (ASSO) Order No. 2 issued by the Department of National Defense.

A police officer, who requested anonymity, said Dilangalen was an alleged member of Maute Group as a recruiter.

The same police officer said Dilangalen, who belonged to a big Moro clan in Maguindanao, was a key recruiter of Maute-Abu Sayyaf Group and AKP.

The Abu Sayyaf and Maute Groups now belong to Dawlah Islamiyah Philippines, an ally of the Islamic State that was founded by brothers Omarkhayem and Abdulla Maute of Lanao del Sur.

These groups, backed by foreign terrorists, orchestrated the worst terrorist attack in Marawi City.

Dilangalen was related to one of the seven young AKP recruits killed by the Philippine Marines in a November 2015 encounter in Barangay Butril, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

Army intelligence agents said Dilangalen had recruited high school and college students to join the ranks of jihadists.

On Wednesday, police in Parang, Maguindanao arrested five teenagers who confessed they were recruited to augment the Maute Group forces in Marawi City, according to Chief Insp. Erwin Tabora, chief of the Parang Municipal Police Station.

Tabora said relatives of the teenagers alerted the police about the plan to travel to Marawi City.

Acting on the relatives’ report, the police went to Sitio Greenhills, Barangay Making, Parang, Maguindanao.

Tabora said they were recruited by a former member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but now connected to Maute.

“They were promised huge amount of money once they leave on June 15for Marawi,” Tabora told reporters. He said one of the teens admitted the recruiter promised them P100,000 cash that they will leave to their parents once they agree to travel to Lanao del Sur, and a monthly allowance of P25,000 as jihadist.

The “rescued” are now under the close watch of the town’s social welfare office and their Maranao parents living in Parang. /atm