Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Another lawmaker of the Commission I of the House of Representatives Supiadin Saputra suspected that ISIS has connections with mass organizations in Indonesia.

"Very likely as a number of terrorists caught in the country were found to have links with ISIS network," Supiadin, from the Nasdem faction, said here on Saturday.

On Friday,lawmaker of the same commission Charles Honoris said mass organizations, which have been infiltrated by ISIS had become a proxy or liaison agents for ISIS in this region.

A mass organization leader has even installed some people as ISIS members in the country, the lawmaker of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, said.

Both lawmakers refused to give names of the mass organizations, which have been infiltrated by ISIS.

Supiadin said information about the possibility of ISIS having connections with mass organizations in Indonesia, is held only by intelligence people.

The two lawmakers warned the people and securities authorities to be more on guard with the open support shown by certain mass organizations.

"It is widely reported in social media and video but it could not be held as evidence about the relations between mass organizations with ISIS," Supiadin said.

Supiadin as well as Charless called on the security authorities including the military , police and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to take firm measures to prevent the spread of the ISIS influence.

Earlier Indonesian military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said ISIS was building new force in southern Philippines, and plans to establish its headquarters there to run its operations in southeast Asia.

"ISIS is eyeing southern Philippines to build their headquarters for Southeast Asian operations," Gen. Gatot said.

He said that Indonesia needs to remain on the alert against the ISIS threat as the Philippines is not far from Indonesia.

The headquarters in the Philippines is relatively close to Tarakan, Kalimantan, and Poso, where a number of Islamic terrorists are still at large.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has also warned of ISIS plan to establish its base in the Philippines to run its operations in this region.

The warning by the Philippine leader should be seriously taken by Indonesian security authorities, Charles said.

Until now Manila has not succeeded in stamping out Islamic separatists and terrorist from Mindanao, southern Philippines, believed to have links with Middle East ISIS.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016