CAPTURED Photo provided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission shows police on Thursday accompanying two women, one of them terror suspect Myrna Mabanza, in Pasil village, Indanan, Sulu.
The government said it arrested a woman on Thursday tagged by the United States as a facilitator for 鈥渢error鈥� who gave money and other aid to the Islamic State (IS) group.
Myrna Mabanza was arrested near the town of Indanan, Sulu, a stronghold of IS-linked armed militant group Abu Sayyaf, according to a statement from the Anti-Terrorism Council.
The US treasury department in 2018 listed Mabanza as a 鈥渇acilitator for terror,鈥� saying she supported the Philippine branch of Isis, an alternate name for IS.
It accused her of 鈥渁ssisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of鈥� Isis-Philippines.
Fund transfers
The US and Philippine governments both alleged that the 32-year-old was involved in two 2016 fund transfers鈥攐ne of up to $107,000鈥攖o Isnilon Hapilon, then leader of the Abu Sayyaf militant group and Isis-Philippines.
Mabanza was also alleged to have served as intermediary between Hapilon and IS elements in Syria.
In April that year, she 鈥渉elped facilitate鈥� a trip by a representative of the IS-linked group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah from Indonesia to the Philippines, where she took the person to Basilan Island to meet Hapilon, the two governments said.
The unnamed representative came to the Philippines to purchase arms for IS-aligned forces in Indonesia and set up training courses for Indonesian recruits on firearms use and bomb-making, they added.
Marawi siege
Hapilon, who was on the US 鈥淢ost Wanted Terrorists鈥� list, was killed in October 2017 near the end of a five-month siege by Philippine troops against hundreds of IS-linked gunmen who had seized the southern Muslim city of Marawi.
Tighter security
鈥淢abanza鈥檚 arrest marks another positive note for the Philippines鈥� whole-of-nation campaign to address terrorism and terrorism financing,鈥� Manila鈥檚 statement said.
Mabanza, described by official sources as a Philippine national, is being held without bail and will be tried on terror financing charges, it added.
In Manila, state prosecutors said they were considering Mabanza鈥檚 transfer from Zamboanga City to the capital region for tighter security, noting she has 鈥渘umerous relatives鈥� in southern Mindanao.
Mabanza is currently detained in Zamboanga City by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police.
鈥淭ransferring her to Manila to the facilities in Taguig would ensure that she would be properly guarded,鈥� state prosecutor Rassendell Gingoyon said at a press briefing.
The Regional Trial Courts in Quezon City (Branch No. 77) and Taguig City (Branch No. 266) are 鈥渆quipped鈥� to hold Mabanza鈥檚 trial as they are designated by the Supreme Court to handle terrorism cases.
Mabanza is facing five cases for alleged violation of Republic Act No. 11479, or the Anti-Terrorism Act, and Republic Act No. 10168, or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act.
Gingoyon said Mabanza was involved in financing terrorism by receiving money from foreign nationals in Malaysia, Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
鈥淲e have a presumption that these are remittances for the purpose of supporting Isis and Al Qaeda activities in the Philippines. That is one of the primary reasons why we filed several complaints against her for terrorist financing,鈥� he said.
Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said Mabanza facilitated an estimated $107,000 in terrorist funds, some of which were used for buying arms and importing 鈥渇oreign fighters to join the Marawi siege.鈥�
Teacher by profession
According to state prosecutor Rodan Parrocha, Mabanza was a teacher by profession and was married to an Abu Sayyaf 鈥渟ympathizer鈥� identified as Abu Anas.
鈥淎fter the death of Abu Anas, she remarried, and based on [the] intel report, her present husband is a high-ranking [Moro National Liberation Front] leader and she stayed in the camp of the husband,鈥� Parrocha said.
In three of her five cases, Mabanza is accused along with two others鈥擬arsan Ahaddin Ajijul, who is currently detained in Malaysia, and Norkisa Omar Asnanul, who is now also in government custody, according to prosecutors.
Officials said Ajijul was an active member of the Abu Sayyaf and allegedly one of the 鈥渢rusted鈥� persons of Mabanza. He was identified as a combatant and also a purchaser of materials and supplies for the group.
Asnanul reportedly received money remittances from Mabanza, based on the investigation of the Anti-Money Laundering Council. 鈥擱EPORTS FROM JANE BAUTISTA AND AFP聽