Military ops in Marawi winding down — Duterte

MANILA, Philippines - The military operations in Marawi City have started to wind down, President Duterte declared after visiting the frontlines last Friday.

Duterte said the battle in Marawi has entered its critical stage, citing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Gen. Restituto Padilla, who said the troops have started to clear out the booby traps and explosive devices left by the terrorists in the city.

Padilla said only a few dozen gunmen of the extremist Maute group remain in two barangays covering an area of less than one square kilometer in the war-torn city.

He said the fighting between government troops and the terrorists are now at closer range.

Padilla added the troops are being more careful in their approach now that the battle is nearing its conclusion.

Padilla revealed there are only about 40 to 60 extremists left fighting the troops, based on the assessment of the ground commanders leading the government forces.

“They are still putting up a fight but not as intense as before,” Padilla said.

The military said the terrorists seemed to be saving their ammunition, indicating that they are running out of firepower. 

As of Aug. 3, 119 soldiers and policemen, 522 extremists and 45 civilians have been killed in the over two months of fighting.

President Duterte imposed martial law across the entire region of Mindanao on May 23, within hours of the attack in Marawi in a bid to quickly crush what he said was the fast-rising threat from the Islamic State.

Congress approved Duterte’s request for an extension of martial law in Mindanao up to Dec. 31.

In his second visit to the frontlines last Friday, Duterte rallied the troops, saying the battle in Marawi is coming to an end.

“I was reading the briefer last night and there was a statement that we are winding up… that we are entering the critical stage,” Duterte told the troops at Barangay Kilala.

As operations wind up, Duterte said he is hoping that there will be fewer casualties on the government side.

“I hope that there would be less heartaches and you’d be able to clean up Marawi, get rid of the terrorists, hoping that there would be no casualties from our side,” the President said.

Padilla added the AFP is still not giving itself a deadline insofar as completely defeating the Maute militants and liberating Marawi City.

Since the battle in Marawi is drawing to a close, government troops on the ground are given the option on how to carry out its operations.

Additional troops from Negros and Panay have been deployed to augment the government forces in Marawi.

Mindanao lawmakers, on the other hand, expressed their support for the rehabilitation of Marawi City.

Misamis Oriental Rep. Juliette Uy said majority of the lawmakers in Mindanao have agreed to approve the proposed budget of the education sector so portions of it could be used to rebuild schools and classrooms destroyed in the Marawi conflict.

“Although we did not promise, but we will try our best to help, especially in the allocation of the budget (for the construction of Marawi). We, the Mindanaoan legislators, will fight for its approval,” she said.

South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez said some items in the 2018 national budget would be dedicated to the rebuilding of Marawi, adding assessment of the damage may have to come later as the conflict is still ongoing.

Officials said the Duterte administration has allocated P20 billion for the reconstruction of Marawi.

Since all the government agencies have received and utilized their allocation for this year, Hernandez said Congress could approve more funding for Marawi in the 2018 budget. – With Gerry Lee Gorit, Roel Pareño, Gilbert Bayoran