A soldier (R) talks to a resident (2nd R) returning to inspect her home near the battle area of Mapandi in Marawi, on the southern island of Mindanao on October 24, 2017, a day after the military declared the fighting over. AFP file photo
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Friday that terrorists groups continue to recruit civilians in Mindanao to reinforce their capability after the government has liberated Marawi City.
Col. Edgar Arevalo, acting AFP spokesman, said the military was already addressing these monitored recruitment of terrorists.
“Ang hindi po natin masyadong napapansin ay ang operation ng AFP to prevent the terorrist groups from further increasing their number dahil patuloy pa rin po silang nagre-recruit ng mga miyembro diyan sa paligid ng Marawi,” Arevalo said during the Bagong Marawi briefing in Malacañang.
“May mga activities po tayo na isinasagawa upang siguruhin na hindi na sila makakapangalap ng additional members pa at hindi na sila mulig makagagawa ng pag gambala katulad ng ginawa nila sa Marawi at sa iba pang bahagi ng bansa,” he added.
The military official said they were particularly monitoring the recruitment from remnants of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group.
“Ang recruitment na namo-monitor natin ay buhat sa mga remnants ng Maute-ISIS group,” he said.
“May namo-monitor tayo sa municipalities around Marawi – the immediate vicinity of Marawi. Dito natin nakikita ‘yung nagi-i-intensify pa rin sila in the sense na hindi sila humihinto sa kanilang ginagawang recruitment at patuloy na pagkumbinsi na sumali sa kanilang hanay,” he added.
The terrorists, he said, have been using social media to intensify their recruitment and have been promising financial compensations for those who would join their group.
“And of course may mga offer pa rin sila ng financial remunerations kagaya nito. And of course ang social media ay patuloy pa rin nilang ginagamit sa kanilang recruitment activities,” he said.
Arevalo said the locals were the ones reporting to the military the alleged recruitment activities of the terrorists.
“Ang monitoring natin nito ay base doon sa mga nire-report din sa atin ng mga citizen in this locality. So, definitely hindi naman openly nila ginagawa ang kanilang pagre-recruit,” he said.
“But what we can say for now is may namo-monitor tayong ganitong reports kaya pagpapatuloy ang ating operations upang siguruhin na they will not succeed,” he added.
He said the terrorists were recruiting the youth and their relatives to join their group.
“Well, panguhanin diyan ‘yung mga kamag-anak kasi ‘yun ang mas madali nilang ma-recruit. Of course ang mga bata, ang mga kabataan ang kanilang mas nanaising ma-recruit because these are the sectors of our society that are, could be considered vulnerable,” he said.
“Sila ‘yung mga grupo na napakadaling, ika nga bilugin ang mga ulo, bigyan ng mga pangako at sila ang mas madaling, ika nga yayain na sumama sa kanilang grupo,” he added.
Arevalo assured the public that the AFP was “intensely working” to prevent the recruitment activities of the terrorists.
“What I can tell you is they are continuing with their recruitment activities. And that what is what we intensely are working on to prevent them from continuing to recruit these vulnerable sectors of our society,” he said. /kga