Photo courtesy of Iligan City Police Office
ILIGAN CITY, Philippines – Authorities here arrested the wife of one of the leaders of Maute group in Barangay Tubod, Sunday morning.
Indonesian national Minhati Madrais, 36, the wife of Omar Khayyam Maute, was arrested in a house she is renting in Purok Steelmaker, Sitio Baraas, Barangay Tubod, here around 9am.
Police Senior Superintendent Leony Roy G. Ga, chief of Iligan City Police Office said Midrais, also known as Baby, was among those listed in the Arrest, Search and Seizure Order (ASSO) 1 issued by the Department of National Defense.
Ga said the police recovered several items used in making improvised explosive devices.
He said the suspect was holding an expired passport.
Based on the police’s initial investigation, Madrais arrived in the Philippines in 2012.
Ga said Madrais’ passport also showed that she travelled in and out of the Philippines for three times between 2012 and 2016.
Neighbor’s account
A neighbor of the suspect said he thought that an official of the Philippine National Police was the one occupying the house where Madrais was living with her six young children.
Jason (not his real name) said he saw in the early days of their stay that there was a woman in her 50s who used to buy at the small store in the neighborhood.
He said the children also used to buy in the store and said they have a different dialect which their Maranao neighbors could not understand.
Teacher by profession
According to Ga, Madrais revealed that she is a teacher by profession although she did not mention what subject she is teaching. She and Omar were also classmates in Egypt.
Ga said, if Madrais will cooperate and give them complete information, she will be “a great help” in the campaign against terrorism.(davaotoday.com)
