The Mautes of the Philippines: from monied family to Islamic State

FILE PHOTO: Cayamore Maute, a man who said he was the father of two brothers whose Maute group of Islamist militants led the seizure of Marawi city two weeks ago, is guarded by police women inside the police station after his arrest in Davao city, southern Philippines June 6, 2017. REUTERS/Lean Daval Jr/File Photo

MANILA/MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Before they formed one of the most dreaded militant groups in the Philippines and pledged loyalty to Islamic State, the Mautes were a wealthy, political family in the southern region of Mindanao, largely influenced by the matriarch, Farhana.

Soft-spoken and reserved, 60-year-old Farhana Maute owns property in Mindanao and in Manila, and runs a construction business, say people who know the family and security analysts who have scrutinised its background.