MANILA, Philippines — Government security forces still have to clear around 300 buildings in Marawi believed occupied by Maute militants.
The military said these buildings are within a 10-hec-tare area where continuing airstrikes and ground assaults are focused.
Most of the buildings are either occupied by snipers and machine gunners or laden with booby traps, Col. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines-public affairs office chief, said yesterday.
“The terrorists are now left with a 10-hectare maneuvering area…Overall, there are still 15 to 18 hectares that should be cleared,”Arevalo said.
He clarified reports that the terrorists are holed up in only a 500-square-meter area.“I think there was a confusion…It has been corrected,” Arevalo said.
He said military operations to defeat the terrorists are gaining ground.
However, Arevalo declined to give a timeline on when the fighting will end, saying that the matter is in the hands of ground commanders.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Eduardo Año had earlier expressed confidence the military offensive in Marawi will be over before he retires from the service.
Año will reach the mandatary retirement age of 56 on Oct. 26.
Marawi rehab
Meanwhile, Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian said the budget of the Road Board should be realigned to rehabilitate Marawi.
Gatchalian said he supports the move of the Senate and House of Representatives to abolish the agency and divert its proposed budget of P1.2 billion next year to more noble causes.
“I would be more comfor-table seeing that money go to the Free Higher Education Act or the rehabilitation of Marawi City. There is no cogent reason why...this body should still exist,” he said.
“Whatever function or mandate (the agency) is currently performing could be handled by the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). Adding another layer of bureaucracy…increases the chance of inefficiency and irregularities in government,” Gatchalian said.
The Road Board was created under Republic Act 8794 to ensure the maintenance of national and provincial roads. Its budget is sourced from road users tax.
House Bill 6236 filed by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez seeks to abolish the agency and transfer its functions to the DPWH and Department of Transportation.
Alvarez cited allegations that the agency misused more than P90 billion in road users’ tax. – With Delon Porcalla