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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO and PRINCE GOLEZ
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Wednesday, October 18, 2017
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MANILA – “Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby declare Marawi City liberated from the terrorist influence,” President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday.
Duterte made the announcement during his seventh visit to Marawi and just a day after state forces killed two leaders of Islamic State-inspired extremists who have laid siege to the conflict-torn city since May.
“With the death of Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, that now marks the beginning of rehabilitation,” said the President.
But Duterte’s declaration was just “symbolic,” as many things still need to be done to ensure that Marawi is free from danger, said Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Joint Task Force Ranao.
“We will now do the mopping-up operation. We will now clear the area,” Brawner said. “Dumating na rin iyong damage and assessment team (on Monday) to know the extent of the damage.”
The military will recover the remaining hostages and retrieve dead bodies as Health department personnel sanitize the area, Brawner said.
Armed Forces spokesperson Restituto Padilla himself said the deaths of Maute and Hapilon do not mean the end of hostilities in Marawi (See sidebar).
But while fights are ongoing, the remaining terrorists have become too weak, Padilla said.
“In the small pockets where battle is ongoing, the fight will continue. But terrorists no longer have the power they used to have,” he said.
“Many of the strikers from the Maute group are reportedly wounded,” he added. “There’s no way they can get out anymore, and there’s no way anyone can get in without the clearance of our forces.”
As for Duterte’s declaration, Padilla said it will pave the way for rehabilitation.
Clashes between government troops and the local Maute terrorist group started on May 23 after a botched police operation against Hapilon, leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Fearing the spread of violence to other parts of the country, Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law. Congress granted the extension of the proclamation until the end of the year.
Maute and Hapilon perished in armed clashes while state forces were trying to recover the last remaining Maute strongholds, Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced to the press on Monday.
The conflict forced 400,000 residents to flee their homes. Around a thousand people – soldiers, extremists and civilians – were reported killed.
Duterte assured assistance to the wounded soldiers, estimated at more than 1,700.
“Pero ang problema ko, ang nasugatan ngayon, marami iyan,” said the President. “I can guarantee you, sinasabi ko sa inyo, walang iwanan. Ibubuwis ko sa inyo lahat.”/PN
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