Abandoning their own in the face of death? Hapilon, Maute tried to flee the battlefield. Hostages provide pinpointed intelligence about both.

Abandoning their own?

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The bravado of the toughest starts to vanish when fear sets in; and, when the fear is of death, it shakes every mortal. I remember a movie in which men convicted to hanging were singing happily when being led to the gallows. My son laughed at the false depiction.

The true picture does emerge whether you choose to believe it or not.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the leaders of the Marawi siege were reported to be trying to flee. The fear of death made Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon make attempts to avoid certain death.

But, they could not evade the government troops and died while trying to escape. Major Gen. Restituto Padilla, the spokesperson of the AFP disclosed the details of the operation leading to their death.

The terrorist leaders finally paid with their lives for all the atrocities on innocent civilians. It was the same hostages who had the last say in the matter since they provided the vital information about their kidnappers.

The rescued hostages were the source of detailed specific information that made it easy for the AFP. Apart from the exact location of the terrorist leaders, the rescued hostages furnished other strategic information.

The vital information included specific details of:
1. The exact location of the leaders,
2. The strength of the contingent of terrorists,
3. The pattern of movement and routine jobs,
4. Complete security details of the leaders and their setup,
5. The layout of the hideouts and shelters.

In the end, all the well-planned arrangements of the fleeing terrorists came to naught. They were in the process of abandoning all their loyal followers who were sacrificing their lives out there.

The 3-story building had a lake as the backdrop which was their last-minute escape route. But, the AFP had considered all the options and covered all eventualities.

That is why they were able to intercept the bandits who were trying to make good their escape.

The trouble erupted on May 23 when the administration sent police to arrest Hapilon. Intelligence reports had reported that Hapilon was to be the anointed emir of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia.

For that purpose, IS sought a Caliphate in the Philippines since the Islamic State was on the defensive elsewhere.

The Maute brothers Abdullah and Omar led from the front and hoisted black flags of the Islamic State group. They also set afire Dansalan College marking the beginning of a siege that is just petering out now.

But, the government troops had planned the Sunday operation to perfection in the Islamic city. A sniper killed Omar Maute with a shot in the head while Hapilon succumbed to gunshots in the chest.

Their team of bodyguards also fell in the fierce gunfight that made sure that there were no survivors.

This event signaled the liberation of Marawi City. The President of the Philippines announced the liberation of Marawi from the IS-inspired terror groups.

The Philippines had emerged victorious on one vital front that united the nation.

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Umrao Singh
umraoz.wordpress.com
Written for: Lars-Magnus Carlsson.
www.thephilippinepride.com
Wednesday, October 18, 2017

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