Members of the Maute clan residing in eastern Metro Manila have complained of being harassed and bullied by their neighbors or classmates.
During the series of dialogues being conducted by the Eastern Police District (EPD) with members of the Muslim community in the cities of San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasig and Marikina, two relatives of the leaders of the Maute group cited instances of bullying or discrimination.
Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, EPD district director, said on Monday that even those who shared the same surname claimed they were being called terrorists.
According to a man, his daughter who studies at a public high school in Pasig City “usually comes home crying” due to the bullying she was experiencing at school because of her surname.
He asked the police for help in stopping the harassment of Muslims in the city.
According to Sapitula, he initiated the dialogues two weeks ago to check on the condition of Muslims under his area of jurisdiction.
Most of the Maute clan members living in Metro Manila are from Mulondo, Lanao del Sur province, far from Butig, Lanao del Sur where the Maute group originated, and “are peace-loving and law-abiding,” he added.
A lot of them have been residing in the metropolis for decades and have stable jobs, Sapitula said.
A woman related to brothers Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, the leaders of the terrorist group laying siege to Marawi City, told the police that they were not in favor of the chaotic situation in the area since they have relatives caught in the crossfire.
“I hope that the war will soon end for the sake of the younger generations in Lanao del Sur,” she said.