Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte and the West

Conflict between Philippine government forces and ISIS in the Philippines continued to worsen this week, after what has already been a month of fighting centered in the southern town town of Marawi.

ISIS Siege In The Philippines Continues Despite Assistance From U.S. Special Forces
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As late as last week there had been hope that the ISIS siege would soon be broken by government forces, but these hopes were dashed after three weeks of fighting.

Reuters reported that military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla had said that the urban terrain was hampering the army’s progress because the rebels had hunkered down in built-up neighborhoods, many of them with civilians taken as human shields.

CNN reported that militants had entered the predominantly Muslim city of some 200,000 suddenly, on the afternoon of May 24, wearing masks and carrying assault rifles. CNN wrote that the siege of Marawi had followed a May 23 army raid that failed to capture a top terror suspect, Isnilon Hapilon, who has been designated by the Islamic State group as its leader in Southeast Asia.

Fox News reported that U.S. Special Forces were assisting the government of the Philippines in breaking the ISIS siege, with U.S. forces providing technical assistance and performing only non-combat roles at this time. Time reported the U.S. Navy had provided surveillance for local troops. Over 100 people are reported to have died in Marawi during the ongoing violence.

Newsweek reported that General Gatot Nurmantyo’s described the Islamic State militant group (ISIS)’s current presence as having taken hold in “almost every province of Indonesia.” He said that militants can be found in sleeper cells across the country, adding that if the Philippines wins, Indonesia would get a spillover effect from the retreating militants, but if the Philippines loses, Mindanao would be a strong regional ISIS base that threatens Indonesia among others.

The conflict has been described as transforming from a rebellion into an invasion by foreign terrorists. Philippine Solicitor General Jose Calida, speaking during a press briefing last week state that “They want to create Mindanao as part of the caliphate.” Newsweek noted that border areas between the Philippines and Indonesia are traditional trading routes. General Ganip was reportedly concerened that ISIS militants would enter Indonesia along such routes, possibly being smuggled by merchants.

Such concerns appear to have been specifically in reference to the Muate brothers, who Reuters has called “Southeast Asia’s Islamist ‘time bomb.'” Malaysian news source The Star has noted assertions by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte that the pair, Abdullah and Omar Maute, were former police officers involved in the illegal sale of drugs. The Muate Group were reported to have provided ISIS a foothold in the region in part through the illegal drug industry.

Concerns relating to ISIS affiliation with drug smugglers like the Muate brothers were heightened after CNN in the Philippines reported that authorities had recovered firearms, explosives, and illegal drugs during a raid at the house of former Marawi City Mayor Fajad Salic. CNN explained that in addition to the drugs recovered from the location, authorities seized “live ammunition, four M203 grenade launchers, and an M16.” Filipino news source ABC CBN also noted that two evacuees from Marawi had been arrested for possessing illegal drugs.

In an all too familiar pattern, militants proclaiming ties to the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) have once again found themselves aiding US foreign policy, this time in the Philippines where the Philippine government has been increasingly seeking closer ties with Beijing at the expense of Washington’s longstanding influence in the Southeast Asian state.

Philippines: ISIS Saves US Foreign Policy, Again
http://www.globalresearch.ca/philippines-isis-saves-us-foreign-policy-again/5594672

Militants have conducted a large scale military operation seizing parts of the southern Philippine city of Marawi where they have carried out a variety of atrocities and hoisted ISIS flags. Located on the southern island of Mindanao, the city is only slightly removed from Al Qaeda affiliate Abu Sayaff’s primary area of operation on nearby Jolo and Basilan islands.

Abu Sayaff and other regional affiliates have received much of their funding and support from one of America’s oldest and closest Mideast allies, Saudi Arabia with whom the US has just recently sealed another unprecedented arms deal.

It is now reported that the US military is aiding Philippine troops in attempts to retake the city, highlighting just how ISIS has been used as a pretext to justify Washington’s continued influence in the nation – and particularly – the presence of US military forces in Southeast Asia.

AFP would report in an article titled, “US troops on the ground in war-ravaged Philippine city: military,” that: US troops are on the ground helping local soldiers battle Islamist militants in a Philippine city, a Filipino military spokesman said Wednesday, giving the most detailed account of their role.

The small number of US soldiers are providing vital surveillance assistance and, although they do not have a combat role, are allowed to open fire on the militants if attacked first, spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said.

AFP also noted that: The issue of US troops in the Philippines has become extremely sensitive since Rodrigo Duterte became president last year and sought to downgrade his nation’s military alliance with the United States in favour of China.

However, the fact that the militants are funded and supported by US ally Saudi Arabia, and that the Islamic State itself was admittedly a creation of US and Persian Gulf interests, their sudden and spectacular appearance in the Philippines just as US-Philippine ties were at their lowest and impetus to finally remove America’s presence from the nation at its highest, indicate that the recent mayhem is more than convenient coincidence.

US Foreign Policy: Breaking Windows By Night, Repairing Them (For a Price) By Day

Dwindling geopolitical leverage in Asia Pacific has caused the United States to seek a variety of conflicts to serve as pretexts for its continued presence in the region. This includes tensions in the South China Sea where the US has sought to line up nations against China to challenge Beijing’s claims over territory and islands there.

One of those nations – in fact – included the Philippines which sidelined an elaborate US-led legal charade over China’s claims in the South China Sea in favor of bilateral talks with Beijing directly – excluding the US.

The US has also actively provoked conflict on the Korean Peninsula, threatening North Korea’s government with a potential first strike aimed at “decapitating” its civilian and military leadership. Such meddling and the predictable tensions that result have ensured America’s continued military presence in South Korea as well as years of lucrative defense contracts.

And while Washington’s use of ISIS in the Philippines is the most recent example of how terrorism is being used to justify America’s military presence in the region, it certainly isn’t the first. Militancy in Thailand’s south has been repeatedly used as a pretext for Washington to seek closer ties to Bangkok – ties Bangkok has repeatedly rejected in favor of more diverse military cooperation and acquisitions from China, Russia, Europe, and its own growing domestic industry.

Beyond Asia, the US has used terrorism – including use of ISIS specifically – to justify its military presence everywhere from Libya to Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan.

It was in a leaked 2012 US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) memo that it was revealed the US and its allies sought the creation of a “Salafist principality” in eastern Syria for the specific purpose of “isolating” the Syrian government. (Copy of memo.)

The 2012 memo (PDF) would state specifically that: If the situation unravels there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion (Iraq and Iran).

The DIA memo would also explain who these “supporting powers” are: The West, Gulf countries, and Turkey support the opposition; while Russia, China, and Iran support the regime.

Despite Washington’s claims of fighting ISIS in Syria, it wasn’t until Russia’s military intervention in 2015 that saw the terrorist organization’s supply lines from Turkey ravaged and its territory and fighting capacity rolled back.
Prolonging ISIS’ existence is the continued support it receives from America’s closest allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel. The US itself has on multiple occasions now directly attacked Syrian forces engaged in combat against ISIS.

Most recently, the US has deployed long-range artillery in southern Syria specifically to target Syrian forces that have overwhelmed ISIS on the Syrian-Iraqi border and threaten to jeopardize Saudi-Jordanian supply lines that have fed the terror organization’s presence in Syria for years.

Considering this, ISIS’ “sudden” appearance in the Philippines, just in time to justify Washington’s otherwise unjustified and unwanted presence and influence in the nation is more than mere coincidence – it is another example of the United States creating crises in order to provide “solutions” that predictably include its continued existence as a regional hegemon.

Not unlike a crooked window repair service that breaks windows at night and repairs them for a price by day, the US is sowing tensions, conflict, murder, and mayhem, then posing as the solution – for a steep geopolitical price.

For nations like the Philippines, turning to its regional neighbors, China, and Russia who have more honest interests in defeating US-sponsored terrorism also targeting them respectively, is the only way to genuinely address immediate security issues and ensure longer-term peace and prosperity. America’s presence in the Philippines and its role in extinguishing geopolitical fires it itself lit only guarantees the Philippines a protracted and costly existence as a proxy and pawn amid America’s Asia Pacific ambitions.

The Philippine government announced that its troops have taken control of 90 percent of Marawi city, after fighters who swore allegiance to ISIL seized it three weeks ago.

Philippines Claims Control of 90 Percent of Marawi
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The latest news comes just a day after a politician said that residents fleeing the city had seen scores of bodies, as intense fighting between security forces and ISIL continued, Al Jazeera reported.

"Dead bodies, at least 100, scattered around the encounter area," Zia Alonto Adiong, a politician in the area who is helping in rescue and relief efforts, said, referring to accounts he had received from fleeing residents.

The military said it could not confirm the report.

Thousands have been forced to leave their homes, as about 150 fighters are still putting up a fight in Marawi.

Rescuers fear that hundreds of people may still be trapped as fighting continues, and that many of them face starvation or have been killed in the crossfire.

Many of the displaced are currently living in evacuation centres across Lanao province.

The army has said 290 people have been killed in the fighting, including 206 fighters, 58 soldiers and 26 civilians.

Lieutenant-Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera, a military spokesman, said troops were advancing towards the commercial centre of Marawi, which is held by the fighters.

"We intend to finish the fight as soon as possible. Our tactical commanders are doing their best," Herrera added.

But many of the remaining ISIL-linked fighters had taken up sniper positions, he stressed, complicating the advance.

"The battlefield is very fluid," he underlined.

The Philippines military said it has arrested one of the Maute brothers, a senior member of the Daesh-backed militants it is fighting in a southern city.

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Philippines Says Senior Member of Daesh-Backed Group Arrested
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Mohammad Noaim Maute, alias Abu Jadid, was arrested at a checkpoint near the coastal city of Cagayan de Oro just after dawn on Thursday, said Lt Col Jo-Ar Herrera, a military spokesman, Reuters reported.

Two of Mohammad's brothers, Omarkhayam and Abdullah, lead the Maute gang that is at the forefront of a vicious battle with security forces for Marawi City, now in its fourth week. Marawi is about 100 km (60 miles) south of Cagayan de Oro, but it was not clear whether Mohammad was coming from the besieged city.

Most of the other seven Maute brothers, including Omarkhayam and Abdullah, are believed to be in Marawi.

Their parents were taken into custody last week in separate cities.

Brigadier-General Gilbert Gapay, spokesman for the military's Eastern Mindanao Command, said Maute was a suspected bomb-maker for the group. He said Maute was holding a fake student card of the Mindanao State University, based in Marawi, when stopped at the checkpoint. He was not armed.

Local police said Maute, which was founded some five years ago and pledged alliance to the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) Takfiri terrorist group in April 2015, readily admitted his identity when questioned, adding that he was now being questioned.

At least 9,000 displaced residents of the city of Marawi, the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, who were transferred to northern Iligan City when the conflict erupted in the region in late May, still await relief goods, local media reported Sunday.

At Least 9,000 Evacuees From Filipino City of Marawi Yet to Receive Relief Items
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706181054732816-marawi-thousands-await-relief/

The non-government organization dubbed Ecosystems for Work for Essential Benefits (EcoWEB), engaged in providing assistance to the evacuees, found out that some 9,000 people still remained undocumented and awaited relief items.

At least 30,000 displaced residents of Marawi are seeking shelter in Iligan City since the escalation of the armed conflict.

The tensions between the Philippine government forces and the Maute group, which is affiliated with the Islamic State terror organization (IS, banned in Russia), in the region escalated in late May, when the latter attempted to storm the city of Marawi. The escalation prompted the nation's authorities to impose martial law on the island and led to the deaths of over 100 people.

Russian warships are welcome in the Philippines but there have been no discussions of hosting Russian troops at its bases, Ambassador of the Philippines in Moscow Carlos Sorreta told Sputnik.

Philippines Welcomes Russian Navy Ship Visits, But No Discussions of Bases' Use
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706191054754480-philippines-russia-ships-visits/

The envoy stressed that "there was absolutely no discussion" of the Russian use of Philippine military bases.

"What we have discussed are ship visits, for Russian ships to visit the Philippines often," Sorreta said in an interview published Monday.

On January 2-7, 2017, a Russian Pacific Fleet flotilla, including the Admiral Tributs large anti-submarine ship and the Boris Butoma tanker, made a friendly visit to the Manila port. The high point of the visit was Duterte’s tour of the Admiral Tributs.

The Russian missile cruiser Varyag and sea tanker Pechenga visited Manila on April 20-24, 2017. Duterte went aboard the Varyag. The leader was also informed about the main characteristics of the battleship, its weapons and combat capabilities and was introduced to the life of the Pacific sailors onboard.

The Philippines is interested in purchasing Russian-made attack helicopters and smart weapons, Ambassador of the Philippines in Moscow Carlos Sorreta told Sputnik.

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Philippines Eyes Russia-Made Attack Helicopters, Smart Weapons - Ambassador
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He added that Manila was looking into procuring arms "that can be carried by soldiers."

"We are also looking at the possibility of helicopters. Attack helicopters and attack smart weapons," Sorreta said in an interview published Monday.

The Philippines looks to purchase a portion of Russian weapons directly and take advantage of loans for more advanced arms, Sorreta added.

"We have a budget to buy certain items immediately. For the bigger items Russia has offered a system of loans, very good loan [terms]," Sorreta said in an interview published Monday.

"That's a combination, we will buy straight with the money, and then for the big items [there will be] financing," he stressed.

According to the ambassador, the Philippines expects to sign a weapons purchase contract with Russia by the end of 2017.

"I think we will conclude some purchase contract before the end of the year," Sorreta said in an interview published Monday.

He specified that Manila is currently interested in buying Russian-made anti-insurgency weaponry.

"The arms we are looking at right now are for internal defense, meaning ground fighting, not for external defense. So these are mostly weapons that can be carried by soldiers," Sorreta said.

During his visit to Russia in May to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte expressed Manila's interest in advanced Russian weapons, including helicopters, planes, as well as precision-guided weapons to help combat the terror threat.

One of eight cooperation agreement signed between Russia and the Philippines in May envisions intelligence sharing on terrorism, Ambassador of the Philippines in Moscow Carlos Sorreta told Sputnik.

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Russia-Philippines Cooperation Agreement Includes Intel Sharing on Terrorists
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During his visit to Russia in May to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte expressed Manila's interest in advanced Russian weapons, including helicopters, planes, as well as precision-guided weapons to help combat the terror threat.

Following Duterte’s official visit to Moscow, Russia and the Philippines signed a package of agreements, highlighted by the agreement on military cooperation. Media reports suggested that Russia may be offering the Philippines some form of soft loans in the initial stage of military equipment procurement.

One of the agreements that was signed… will be intelligence exchange on terrorism, terrorism financing. We are looking forward to implementing that exchange," Sorreta said in an interview published Monday.

Philippine warplanes bombed ISIL terrorist group positions and ground troops launched a renewed push against the militants holed up in a Southern city.

Philippine Army Launches New Anti-ISIL Offensive in Marawi
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The country’s military spokesman said the aim of the operation was to wrap up the fighting before the weekend Eid festival, Al Waght reported.

The offensive came amid worry that ISIL reinforcements could arrive after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Fighting in Marawi City has entered a fifth week, and nearly 350 people have been killed, according to an official count. Fleeing residents have said they have seen scores of bodies in the debris of homes destroyed in bombing and cross-fire.

"We are aiming to clear Marawi by the end of Ramadan," said military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla, as army and police commanders met in nearby Cagayan de Oro city to reassess strategy and operations against the militants, who claim allegiance to ISIS terrorist group.

"We cannot definitely say when we could end this because we are fighting door to door and there are booby traps which pose danger to our troops."

The seizure of Marawi has alarmed Southeast Asian nations which fear ISIL terrorist group, facing defeat in Iraq and Syria, is trying to set up a stronghold in the southern Philippines that could threaten the whole region.

Fighting was intense early on Tuesday as security forces made a push to drive the militants, entrenched in Marawi's commercial district, south towards a lake on the edge of the city.

Planes flew overhead, dropping bombs while on the ground, automatic gunfire was sustained with occasional blasts from bombs and artillery. Armoured vehicles fired volleys of shells while the militants responded with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades.

On Monday, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines began joint naval patrols in their region amind increasing threats from militant groups.

The "trilateral coordinated maritime patrol" was launched as authorities tried to stop any fighters from Marawi escaping to Indonesia while posing as refugees, Indonesia's military chief Gatot Nurmantyo said.

Fighting in the predominantly Muslims city of Marawi, 830 kilometers South of Manila started as a response to a botched military operation to capture wanted ISIL ringleader Isnilon Hapilon.

Fighters from the ISIL-affiliated Maute group continue to engage security forces in fierce battles while controlling parts of the city.

Several residents were reportedly taken hostage and used as human shields after armed terrorists stormed a village in the Cotabato province of the Philippines, according to local police.

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ISIL-Linked Militants Storm School, Take Hostages in South Philippines Village
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Government troops are now engaging members of the BIFF militant group after the terrorists partly overran the village of Malagakit, located just outside of Pigcawayan town, Chief Inspector Realan Mamon said, RT reported.

Pigcawayan Mayor Eliseo Garsesa said about 200 armed men entered the Christian-Muslim village early Wednesday morning. Police earlier estimated that around 300 militants raided the locality. The police chief confirmed that the militants entered the village shortly after 5:00am on Wednesday.
"We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped. We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities," Mamon said, according to Reuters.

The assailants, however, claimed that they did not take people hostage, but were merely protecting them from government troops. The BIFF group promised to release civilians. “We protected the hostages from the bullets from Army. We will release them later. We did not use them as human shields,” BIFF spokesman Abu Mama Misri told the Inquirer on the phone, without confirming the exact number of civilians being held.

The mayor revealed that authorities had received intelligence reports about text message chatter that the “armed groups were coming.” Garsesa, however, said that such messages were common, and it could not always be verified, the Manila Times reports.

The militants are holding 12 hostages – six adult males and six children, according to the Manila Bulletin. The ongoing fighting resulted in the wounding of at least one auxiliary force soldier of the armed forces, known as CAFGU.

Government troops managed to push back the initial jihadist attack, but ISIL-linked fighters managed to take at least five people hostage as they retreated, according to a spokesperson for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division. “But as the BIFF militants were escaping, they took some civilians hostage and used them as human shields,” Capt. Arvin Encinas, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

So far, the Philippines Army has been unable to determine whether students and teachers were among the captives.

Mamon also could not confirm initial reports that students were being held hostage after the terrorists reportedly occupied a local school. “We are still verifying that report,” Mamon told the Inquirer by telephone.

The gunmen targeted an army outpost and a patrol base of a pro-government militia, before being repelled by army units, military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said, according to the Sun Star. The raid, Padilla said, was aimed at disrupting the ongoing government offensive against the ISIL-linked Maute group. “If this is a diversionary move, it's not the first by these BIFF gunmen,” Padilla said. “They have tried to attack more than once and all have been thwarted.”

For almost a month now, the Philippines Army has been battling militants in Marawi, the capital of the country’s second largest island, Mindanao.

Apart from the main Maute terrorist group, which has pledged allegiance to ISIL, there are around 20 other foreign and local cells, including BIFF, operating in Mindanao, Solicitor General Jose Calida revealed on Monday. “In addition to ISIL-linked local rebel groups, there are also ISIL cell groups that operate all over Mindanao. These cell groups conduct coordinated attacks with the aforesaid rebel groups,” Calida said.

The death toll from the fighting in the Philippines has so far surpassed 300. According to official government figures, 225 militants, 59 soldiers, and 26 civilians have been killed in the clashes.

On Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte warned of a full-scale civil war if the ongoing violence spills into other parts of Mindanao. He urged the local separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which was recently offered some kind of autonomy, to “take care of the area they want” and join the fight against foreign-influenced Maute and other terrorist cells.

“Because if there’s civil war, there would be killings. Here in Mindanao, there are more Christians and they have better guns. They are buying. The rich ones, they’re stockpiling guns,” Duterte said, according to the Inquirer. “That’s what’s dangerous. To prevent a communal war, we really need to stop this.”

The ISIL group helped fund the month-long siege of the Southern Philippine city of Marawi through a Malaysian militant who was reportedly killed by troops, the Philippine military chief said Friday.

Philippines: ISIL Funded Siege on Marawi Through Malaysian Militant
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Gen. Eduardo Ano said that Malaysian Mahmud bin Ahmad reportedly channeled more than $600,000 from the ISIL group to acquire firearms, food and other supplies for the attack in Marawi, abc news reported.

Money believed to be from illegal drugs also funded the uprising, he said.

Mahmud was wounded in the fighting last month and reportedly died on June 7. A local militant leader, Omarkhayam Maute, also is believed to have been killed in the early days of intense fighting and troops were looking for their remains to validate the intelligence the military had received.

Troops are seeking the help of villagers to pinpoint the exact spot where Mahmud was reportedly buried, Ano said. Malaysian security officials have also received information of Mahmud's killing in Marawi and were trying to confirm it.

Two other rebel leaders, top Filipino militant suspect Isnilon Hapilon and Maute's brother, Abdullah, were still fighting in Marawi, he said.

A former Malaysian university professor who became radizalized and received training in Afghanistan, Mahmud appeared in a video showing militant leaders planning the Marawi siege in a hideout, a sign of his key role in the uprising. The AP obtained a copy of the video, which was seized by troops May 23.

A month ago, about 500 local militants, along with several foreign fighters, stormed into Marawi, in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation. Troops since then have killed about 280 gunmen, recovered nearly 300 assault firearms and regained control of 85 buildings. Many of the high rises were used as sniper posts to slow down the advance of government forces, the military said.

At least 69 soldiers and police and 26 civilians have died in the fighting. Only four Marawi villages remain in the hands of the militants, out of the 19 of 96 villages across the lakeside city of 200,000 people that the black flag-waving militants had occupied.

"They are constricted in a very small area. They're pinned down," Ano said. He said that three boatloads of gunmen who tried to join the militants were blasted by navy gunboats three days ago in Lake Lanao, which borders Marawi.

Ano said that the battle was taking longer because the militants were using civilians as human shields.

"We can just bomb them away or use napalm bomb to burn everything, but then, we will not be any different from them if we do that," he said.

Members of the ISIL-linked Maute terror group began abandoning their firearms and blending in with civilian evacuees to get out of Marawi City amid the ongoing operation there by government forces, a military official said Thursday.

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ISIL-Linked Militants in Marawi Abandoning Firearms, Blending in with Evacuees to Escape
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“As their bailiwick native land, the terrorists are knowledgeable of the terrain here in Marawi City. They are also using that advantage to slip out of the area to escape,” Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesperson for Joint Task Force Marawi, said in a statement, GMA Network reported.

Government security forces have arrested several alleged high-profile members of the Maute group, including Cayamora and Farjana Maute, parents of Abdullah and Omar, leaders of the group, as well as the brothers' other siblings.

Amid this, Herrera assured the public that government troops are doing everything to track down members of the group who were able to flee Marawi City.

The Philippine military declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its offensive against ISIL militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi, to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Philippine Military Declares Eid Truce in Anti-ISIL Offensive in Marawi
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Assaults backed by air and artillery bombardment stopped at the start of Islamic prayers at 6am but gunfire erupted as soon as the truce ended around 2pm, the Daily Star reported.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano ordered his forces to observe a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement.

The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan.

Five decapitated civilians were found in a Philippine city occupied by ISIL militants, the military said, warning the number of residents killed by the ISIL “atrocities” could rise sharply as troops retake more ground.

Philippines Says Beheaded Civilian Bodies Found in ISIL-Held Town
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The discovery of the five victims among 17 bodies retrieved would be the first evidence that civilians trapped in besieged Marawi City have been decapitated during the five-week stand by militants loyal to the ISIL group, as some who escaped the city have previously confirmed the atrocities,
Guardian reported.

Seventy-one security force personnel and 299 militants have been killed and 246,000 people displaced in the conflict, which erupted after a failed attempt on 23 May to arrest a Filipino militant commander backed by ISIL’s leadership.

President Rodrigo Duterte promised to destroy the militants in Marawi and said the Philippines was now dealing with “a very dangerous situation” due to young Muslims inspired by the “mass insanity” of ISIL.

China has supplied a batch of weapons to the Philippines to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s crusade against Islamist terror groups in Marawi, after Duterte proclaimed that he would seek assistance from sources other than the United States.

The Fight for Marawi: China Donates Thousands of Weapons to Philippines
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201706301055101472-china-philippines-weapons/

A shipment of assault and sniper rifles was delivered to the Philippines from China on Wednesday as a gesture of assistance in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf and Maute terrorist groups that took control of the Philippines city of Marawi last month. Both groups have pledged allegiance to Daesh.

The donation, reportedly worth $7.35 million, "highlights the new era in Philippine-Chinese relations," according to Duterte, who earlier pledged to turn to China and Russia for assistance instead of the United States.

"We are almost on bended knees sometimes because of lack of equipment. It is a good thing we have a good friend like China who is very understanding," Duterte said during a ceremony in which he recieved the shipment.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua, who formally handed over the weapons, said a "second batch" of weapons is going to be delivered soon.

"The donation is not big but it is big in the sense that it marks a new era in relations between our two militaries," the ambassador said.

The following day, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China is going to continue to provide the Philippines with "necessary assistance," during a visit by his counterpart, Alan Peter Cayetano.

"Yesterday the first batch of emergency assistance was delivered to the Philippines," the ambassador said. "In the future, in keeping with the Philippines' needs, we will continue to provide necessary assistance and help," he added.

The ambassador also pledged to provide support for reconstruction efforts in Marawi.

Nearly 400 people have been killed, including 290 militants and 70 troops, after a large group of Daesh-linked militants took over Marawi, a city on the southern island of Mindanao. Most of Marawi's 200,000 residents have fled and much of the city is in ruins, officials say.

The whole island is currently under martial law, which Duterte says he won't lift until the island is safe.

The Philippines Supreme Court has overwhelmingly upheld the enforcement of martial law in the southern region of Mindanao, which President Rodrigo Duterte said was necessary to quell the threat from ISIL.

Philippines Supreme Court Upholds Duterte's Martial Law
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Eleven justices of the 15-member high tribunal voted to dismiss petitions that challenged the martial law on Tuesday, according to Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te, Al Jazeera reported.

Three justices voted to partially grant the petitions, which alleged that Duterte's declaration had no factual basis, while one voted in favour of the petitions, Te said.

Duterte declared military rule over Mindanao on May 23 when hundreds of fighters linked to the ISIL group attacked Marawi city after government forces tried to arrest a local leader of the group.

Philippine security forces arrested on Wednesday the main financier and logistics supporter of the pro-ISIL militants who have for weeks been battling government troops for control of a Southern town.

Philippine Troops Arrest Marawi Militants' Main Financier
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The militants from a faction known as the Maute group, seized the town or Marawi on May 23 and are resisting daily assaults by government forces using aircraft and artillery, and with help from allies the United States and Australia, Reuters reported.

The fighting in the largely Muslim town in South of the predominantly Christian Philippines has alarmed neighbors, fearful that ISIL is bent on gaining a foothold in the region as it loses ground in the Middle East.

An army spokesman, Brigadier-General Gilbert Gapay, said security forces raided a village not far from Marawi and detained three suspects found with ammunition and material for making bombs.

One of those detained was an important supporter of the Maute group who Gapay identified as Monaliza Romato, alias Monay.

The military announced that the woman is a niece of the matriarch of the Maute clan, whose men-folk lead the Marawi attack. Two of seven Maute brothers, Omar and Abdullah, were educated in the Middle East, and were the main planners of the assault on Marawi.

"Monay has replaced her aunt as the main financier and logistic supporter of the militant group," Gapay said in a statement.

"The arrest will adversely affect the logistics support network of the group," he added.

The raid, seizure of weapons and the arrests would also prevent the militants from mounting diversionary attacks, he stressed.

On Wednesday, military aircraft dropped bombs on the town while ground forces tried to advance from house to house.

More than 400 people have been killed in the fighting in Marawi. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and about 20 percent of the center of the town has been destroyed.

President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law on Mindanao island, where Marawi is located, for 60 days when the fighting erupted and Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that there was pressure on the military to defeat the militants before it expires on July 23.

Philippines military resumed airstrikes in a bid to flush out remaining ISIL militants occupying portions of the city, media reports said.

Philippine Airstrikes Resume in Marawi to Flush out Remaining Terrorists
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The Philippine Air Force FA-50 planes dropped four 500-pound bombs towards the position of Maute and Abu Sayyaf gunmen, Inquirer reported.

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesperson for the military’ Joint Task Force Marawi, said the airstrikes were aimed at about 80 gunmen who were still holding high-rise defensive positions.

President Duterte on Tuesday said he needed about 15 more days to end the Marawi fighting.

In Linamon, Lanao del Norte, the local government has urged officials in its eight villages to prevent the entry and recruitment of the terrorists.

Linamon Mayor Randy Macapil urged the barangay officials to identify, register and report any presence of non-residents in their villages. “We have to defend our municipality,” Macapil said.

Armed Forces Public Affairs chief, Col. Edgard Arevalo said the military’s casualty as the fighting entered its 51st day Wednesday rose to 90 but did not provide additional details.

Arevalo said the Maute group also suffered 389 deaths since fighting started on May 23.

Herrera said the military has devised a method to confirm enemy casualties, including actual visuals by troops on the ground.

The Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged the country's congress to extend the ongoing martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year, his spokesman said Tuesday.

Philippines President Wants Martial law to Fight Terror Extended until End of 2017
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Duterte, in a letter to Congress, said the “existing rebellion” in Mindanao would not end on July 22, the 60th day in the limit prescribed by the Constitution, Inquirer reported.

Upon a thorough personal assessment of the current situation in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao and taking into account the reports and recommendations of the Secretary of National Defense as martial law administrator, the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as martial law implementer and the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), I have come to the conclusion that the existing rebellion in Mindanao which prompted me to issue Proclamation 216 on 23rd May 2017, will not be quelled completely by the 22nd July 2017, the last day of 60-day period provided under Section 18 Article VII of the 1987 Constitution,” Duterte said in a message read by Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a Palace briefing.

“For this reason and because public safety requires it, I call upon the Congress to extend until 31st December 2017 or for such a period of time as the Congress may determine the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao,” Duterte’s message added.

Duterte last week said he would not lift martial law before his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 24.

The President met with lawmakers on Monday night in Malacañang to express his intent to extend his martial law decree.

The Congress will convene on Saturday to tackle the President’s request.

Clashes between the Philippines' Presidential Security Group (PSG) and suspected members of the armed wing of the country's Communist Party (CPP) on the island of Mindanao left five guards wounded, media reported Wednesday.

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Philippine Militants Injure Five Presidential Guards in Mindanao Clashes
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The Philippine branch of the CNN broadcaster reported, citing the PSG spokesman Col. Mike Aquino, that the presidential guards were on the way to the city of Cagayan de Oro, when they were stopped by the armed men. Aquino added that the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the CPP, was believed to be behind the incident.

There were men saying they were with Task Force Davao conducting a spot checkpoint. We know that this move is used by the NPA — pretending they are soldiers. When our second vehicle noticed that they were not real soldiers, our troops opened fire on them until it became an encounter," Aquino said as quoted by the broadcaster.

According to the Philippine Army's public information officer Maj. Ezra Balagtey, two of the injured PSG personnel were taken to the hospital.

The incident took place a day after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked the country’s parliament to extend martial law on the island of Mindanao until the end of 2017. The move is expected to provide the Philippine authorities with the opportunity to quell the terrorists operating in the area. Reacting to Duterte's initiative, the CPP asked its armed wing to launch "armed counteractions and offensives" to defeat the martial law on the island.

Philippine lawmakers voted for the extension of the martial law in the southern Mindanao region until December 31, 2017, according to media reports.

Philippine Lawmakers Vote to Extend Martial Law in Mindanao Region Till Year-End
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Philippine lawmakers approved the extension of the martial law in the southern Mindanao region until December 31, 2017, local media reported Saturday.

On Tuesday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked the country’s parliament to extend martial law on the island of Mindanao until the end of this year. The primary objective of the extension is to allow the country's forces to continue operations against terrorists in the region unhampered by deadlines, Duterte said.

During the joint session of both chambers of the Congress, the Senate, the upper house voted 16-4 and the House of Representatives voted 245-18, approving the president's request, the CNN Philippines broadcaster reported.

Despite receiving an invitation from US President Donald Trump, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said he would never visit "lousy" America. His comments were made in frustration at his deadly war on drugs being criticized during a US Congress human rights commission hearing.

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Philippines President Vows to Never Visit ‘Lousy’ America
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"There will never be a time during my term when I will be going to America, or thereafter," Duterte said. "I've seen America and it's lousy. They have many human rights violations."

He also criticized the US for its military presence in the Middle East, Channel News Asia reports.

Duterte is accused by Amnesty International and other organizations of allowing the extrajudicial killing of thousands under the guise of ending drug trafficking in the Philippines.

Barack Obama was the first US president to criticize Duterte’s drug war, saying during the 2016 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference that if Washington is going to aid Manila in the fight to stop narco-traffickers, the Philippines would have to go about it the "right way … Because the consequences when you do it the wrong way: innocent people get hurt. And you have a whole bunch of unintended consequences that don't solve the problem."

Duterte responded by calling Obama a "son of a -jezebel-" and a month later declared the Philippines economically and military "separated" from Washington.

His relationship with the current US president has been quite different. US President Donald Trump praised Duterte’s drug war during an April phone call with the Philippines’ leader, but due to other overseas trips Duterte wasn’t able to accept an invitation to the White House he extended.

US Congressman James McGovern said during a Thursday hearing centered on human rights violations in Manila’s drug war that Duterte should not have been invited and threatened to lead protests against him if he did show up on US soil.

"President Duterte, by all accounts, seems to not have a high regard for human rights," McGovern said, according to Rappler. "And I certainly believe, very strongly, that a man with the human rights record of President Duterte should not be invited to the White House. And if he comes, I will lead the protest because, again, we ought to be on the side of advocating for human rights, not explaining them away."

"What makes that guy think I will go to America?" was Duterte’s retort.

Duterte was inaugurated as president in June 2016.