MANILA — The United States’ decision to declare the Maute Group as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) only highlighted the Philippine government’s efforts to neutralize the terror group, the spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said late Wednesday.
“That is good news for us at magkakaroon tayo ng (and we will have) more reasons (to) go after this group,” Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said when sought for comment on the matter.
The declaration will also greatly impact the group’s capability to raise funds as its sources could be monitored by foreign and local authorities, he added.
Earlier, the US Department of State designated ISIS Philippines, ISIS West Africa, and ISIS Bangladesh as “SDGTs” under Section 1 (b) of Executive Order 13224 as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations”, pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Also tagged as SDGTs were ISIS-Somalia, Jund al-Khilafah-Tunisia, ISIS-Egypt, and the Maute Group.
With this development, American nationals have been prohibited from transacting with these groups while their properties or holdings in the US have been blocked. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
