Anti Terrorism Council hails arrest of alleged Al Qaeda financier

The Anti Terrorism Council (ATC) on Thursday lauded the arrest of the alleged financier of Al-Qaeda in Indanan, Sulu, saying that her arrest marks another positive note for the government's whole-of-nation campaign against terrorism.

Police said that Myrna Mabanza was captured pursuant to a warrant of arrest as she is facing cases for violating the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

''Mabanza's arrest marks another positive note for the Philippines' whole-of-nation campaign to address terrorism and terrorism financing that will reflect well to contribute in the country's unyielding efforts to get out of the Financial Action Task Force's Grey List,'' the ATC said in a statement.

''The ATC commends the efforts of the offices and units involved in this successful operation on the arrest of Mabanza,'' the ATC added.

Authorities said that Mabanza was allegedly involved in the transfer of funds with the leader of Islamic State East Asia, the late Isnilon Hapilon, and served as intermediary between Hapilon and Daesh elements in Syria.

They added that Mabanza supposedly helped facilitate the travel of a representative of a Daesh-linked terrorist group, the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), from Indonesia to the Philippines to purchase arms and to set up training courses for pro-Daesh Indonesian recruits with local terrorist groups on firearms use and basic bomb-making.

Mabanza was nabbed in the joint law enforcement operation of elements from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA),  Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and supported by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).—RF, GMA Integrated News