Maute bomber falls

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

POLICE yesterday arrested a young man whom they claimed was in the city to carry out a bomb attack.

Chief Supt. Agripino Javier, police director for northern Mindanao, identified the suspect as 22-year old Mohammad Noaim Maute of Butig town, Lanao del Sur.

Javier said Maute has been using aliases, Almahid Pangompig Romato and Abu Jadid, among others.

The suspect was arrested by members of the Martial Law Action Group in Sitio Sta. Cruz in Barangay Macasandig, this city, at around 7 am, an hour before Mayor Oscar Moreno delivered his annual report on the state of Cagayan de Oro in time for the city’s 67th Charter Day celebration in Divisoria.

Moreno lauded the police for what he called a “breakthrough” and added that “I fervently hope that this will accelerate the early solution of the Marawi conflict.”

Police said Maute was outside a house he was renting and was talking with someone on the cellphone when authorities pounced on him.

Javier said Maute is among those in the June 5 Arrest Order No. 1 issued by martial law administrator and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Maute however strongly denied any links to terrorism even as he maintained his innocence. He also denied being related to the leaders of the terrorist Maute Group.

He questioned his arrest, saying there was no case filed against him and that the police fabricated a story against him.

“Hindi po ako pamilya ng Maute, hindi ko alam bakit ako hinuli. Pinagbintangan lang ako at ginawa ako nilang bomber, pero  hindi ako kasali diyan. Hindi ho ako bomber, hindi ako bomber,” Maute told reporters.

But Javier asserted that Maute is a “trained bomber.”

“He is not saying what his target was,” said Javier but he added that authorities suspected that he was supposed to carry out an attack in the city and neighboring Iligan.

Javier said investigators were still trying to find out the suspect’s ties or exact relations with the Mautes behind the Lanao del Sur-based terrorist group.

He however said that the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) that the young man is a bomb expert with links to the Maute Group who fled strife-torn Marawi City.

His arrest came as a result of information provided to authorities by a concerned civilian, Javier said.

Javier said Maute managed to get past government checkpoints from Iligan to this city using a fake Mindanao State University ID. He posed as a student using the name Alfaiz Maintal.

He said he mingled with Maranao evacuees when he reached the city.

Javier said no evidence was seized from Maute during his arrest yesterday morning. He also admitted that Maute has yet to be charged in court, and that the only thing they have against the young man was Lorenzana’s arrest order.