Esperon: Baghdadi’s death may also affect local terrorists
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 12:37:08 +0000
NATIONAL Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Tuesday is confident that the reported death of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will disrupt the flow of financial assistance of his allied extremists in the Philippines.
In an interview with reporters in Leyte, Esperon said that terrorists under the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Maute group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) would need financial assistance in carrying out their activities.
“The effect on us here in the Philippines [on Baghdadi’s death], is that if someone whom you gave your loyalty to was gone, [the men who pledged loyalties in the Philippines] will also weaken since there are funds being sent to them. So, it will cause disruption,” he said.
Esperon’s statement comes days after US President Donald Trump announced the death of Baghdadi during a press conference in the White House. The terror leader was said to have been killed during a night-time raid by the US Special Forces in northwestern Syria on October 26.
Esperon said the terrorists who were apparently feeling left out would still attempt to get cash from their local supporters on the ground to proceed with their operations, “just to prove that they are not an organization that has [just] passed.”
“That is why it is a must for all our security forces to take precautionary actions and if there are ongoing operations [carried out by the terrorists], we will operate against them,” Esperon said. DEMPSEY REYES