THE University of the Philippines on Thursday denied that suspected Islamic State leader Isnilon Hapilon was its alumnus.
The school said Hapilon did not graduate from the university’s College of Engineering before joining the extremists in Mindanao.
In a statement, the university stated ‘‘upon verification with the official records of the Office of the University Registrar and the Office of Alumni Affairs, the University of the Philippines can find no record of a former student or alumnus by the name of Isnilon Hapilon, the school said in a statement.
“This clarification is being made in light of recent news reports identifying Mr. Hapilon as a UP graduate.
Hapilon was believed to be a designated leader of the Islamic State group’s Southeast Asia branch in 2016, but before that had a long partnership with the local terrorist movements in the Philippines.
He had also ascended the ranks of the Abu Sayyaf Group to become second in command, and is one of the most wanted terrorists with a $5-million bounty on his head.