An alleged financier and member of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group was arrested in Valenzuela City, about 15 km. away from Manila, police said yesterday.
The suspect, Aminkisa Romato Macadato is accused of helping finance Maute terrorists who held Marawi City hostage in an armed battle with the Philippine military for almost five months.
READ: Philippine military announces end of Marawi siege
He is a nephew of Farhana Maute, the matriarch of the Maute brothers and is a son of Ibrahim Macadato, a former mayor of Butig, Lanao del Sur.
READ: The Maute brothers: Southeast Asia’s Islamist ‘time bomb’
Military and police intel reports said Macadato was involved in the Maute attack on Charlie Company in Lanao del Sur province last year.
Prior to the Marawi siege, Macadato helped the group build the Maute groups firearms arsenal and coordinated their food deliveries.
Authorities believe Macadato was in direct contact with terror suspects in the main battle area in Marawi during the fighting.
A gun and grenade were found in Macadato’s possession when he was arrested.
While authorities are still building more cases against Macadato, he faces at least one charge of illegal possession of firearms.
*edited for style
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