The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, Feb. 16, expressed confidence it can secure the conviction in court of Myrna A. Mabanza, an arrested terrorist financier who has been in the lists of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the United States.

“There is a possibility, if we are able to present our evidence properly in court, we would be able to convict her,” said Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rassendell Rex F. Gingoyon, head of the DOJ’s Terrorism Task Force II, during a press conference.

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) recently announced the arrest of Mabanza, 32, a United States Specially Designated Global Terrorist and also included in the UNSC’s Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or the Daesh and al-Qaeda Sanctions list.

Mabanza was arrested last Feb. 15 in Barangay Pasil in Indanan, Sulu by joint elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) with the support of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

The law enforcers served an arrest warrant issued last Dec. 20, 2023 by a regional trial court (RTC) in Zamboanga City where she is facing charges for five counts of violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 10186, the Terrorism and Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, and of RA 11479, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

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

It also said that Mabanza 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.

Gingoyon said: “The arrest of Mabanza is a clear indication that although this happened several years ago the efforts of government in going after terrorist financiers or terrorist organizations or individuals are relentless. The government does not forget whether this took place in 2012 or 2018. The government is fully prepared to go after these individuals and prosecute them until we can get a conviction."

"Since she is arrested, we can proceed with the trial," he said.

“As to the security concerns of Myrna Mabanza, we are currently conducting an evaluation if it would be better to maintain the trial in Zamboanga or to transfer it to Manila considering that Myrna Mabanza is a high-profile person,” he added.

 “The facilities in Zamboanga might not be able to be enough to contain her considering she has numerous relatives in Zambasulta area,” he explained.

 Guingoyon also said that "transferring her to Manila to the facilities in Taguig City would ensure that she would be properly guarded under the security protocols.”

He noted that there are also anti-terrorism courts in Manila, Quezon City and Taguig City which are ”equipped to handle her case.”

“What we can assure you is that the AMLC, the DOJ and the NICA are fully prepared to handle the case whether it is in Zamboanga RTC or Manila RTC,” he said.

Mabanza's co-accused, Marsan Ahaddin Ajijul and Norkisa Omar Asnanul, have been arrested.  Marsan is currently detained in Malaysia where he is also facing charges, he added..

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rodan Parocha, also a member of the Terrorism Task Force II, noted that Mabanza is currently married to a high-ranking official of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) following the death of her husband, Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) sympathizer Abu Anas.

“So she stayed in the camp of the husband,” Parocha said.