MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – Thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate the town of Marogong in Lanao del Sur on Saturday, May 27, due to escalating tension between government forces and an extremist group, remained hesitant to return despite assurances that the situation was now under control.

“We are talking here of more than 4,000 evacuees. We encourage them to return to their respective homes so that they can live a normal life,” said Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, the director of the Philippine National Police in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PNP-BARMM).

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Nobleza, during a news conference on Monday, May 29, assured that security arrangements have been made, and additional security forces have been deployed to the town.

On Saturday, residents panicked and fled their communities after receiving threats of town sabotage and a potential siege by the ISIS-inspired Dawlah Islamiyah and remnants of the Maute terror group in Lanao del Sur. The threat was made through an ICOM radio message.

The threat came following the arrest of four young men accused by the military and police of being Dawlah Islamiyah members, and barely a week after the activation of Task Force Marawi to fight terrorists and other lawless groups.

Police said the suspects, allegedly under a Dawlah Islamiyah group led by Abu Morsid, were arrested while they were supposedly waiting for supplies and foodstuffs from supporters.

The suspects, including two minors, had high-powered firearms and ammunition with them, according to authorities.

Troops from the regional police command led by Nobleza came on Sunday, May 28, to beef up Marogong town’s security.

Nobleza said the troops had to be cautious and walked approximately a kilometer away towards the town proper to prevent a potential ambush.

He said local officials became emotional when the troops arrived and expressed serious concern about their town’s security during a meeting attended by the town’s mayor, vice mayor, barangay chairpersons, and other officials.

Nobleza said the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion also sent troops to augment security forces in Marogong.

Police confirmed that the Dawlah Islamiyah has continued to recruit new members, particularly in outlying rural communities in Lanao del Sur. 

Nobleza said many Lanao del Sur residents were still worried about the possibility of violence similar to the five months of fighting between the military and the Maute group in Marawi in 2017, and have been avoiding the radical group.

In December 2022, the government’s Task Force Central launched an air and ground assault on a newly built encampment and bomb-making facility in Marogong. Members of the Maute-Dawlah Islamiyah managed to escape but left their belongings behind. – Rappler.com

Ferdinandh Cabrera is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.