Main plotter of Marawi Catholic worship rite bombing arrested

COTABATO CITY — The police had finally arrested the elusive mastermind of the deadly Dec. 3, 2023 bombing of a Catholic worship rite in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province that left four worshipers dead and injured 43 others. 

Arsani Membisa, a member of the Dawlah Islamiya terror group, was arrested in Barangay Maria Cristina in Iligan City on Wednesday, October 16. However, the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region announced his arrest only late Sunday, October 20, to give its units and the military enough time to prepare for possible retaliatory attacks by sympathizers, including leaders of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Brig. Gen Romeo Jaime Macapaz, director of PRO-BAR, told reporters on Monday, October 21, that Membisa, most known as "Lopitos," was cornered in his hideout in Barangay Maria Cristina by combined agents of the Criminal and Investigation and Detection Group and personnel of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office and the Iligan City Police Office, an operation supported by local officials privy to his presence in the area. 

"Vigilant people aware of his exact location provided the information that led to his arrest," Macapaz said. 

Two cohorts of Membisa were arrested one after another several weeks after they set off on Dec. 3, 20243 a powerful improvised explosive device at the Dimaporo Gymnasium inside the campus of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City where a big group of Catholics were hearing mass then, killing four worshipers and wounding 43 others. 

Local executives in Lanao del Sur have confirmed that Membisa and his companions are members of the now moribund Dawlah Islamiya, which is fomenting hatred for non-Muslims and tagged in deadly bombings of buses and commercial establishments in Central Mindanao after owners had ignored extortion demands.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. told reporters on Monday that they are grateful to police officials in Region 10 and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the CIDG for having worked out the arrest of the mastermind of the deadly bombing of Catholic worshipers more than ten months ago.

“My administration is promoting religious solidarity among Muslims and Christians in Marawi City and all towns in Lanao del Sur. That incident, for us, was so saddening. The bombers had been arrested and soon they shall have their day in court,” Adiong said.

Adiong said he and his constituent mayors shall help the police and the military guard against possible attacks by sympathizers of the now detained main plotter of the MSU gymnasium bombing.