TERRORIST forces in the besieged city of Marawi are down to about 80 men, the military said Friday, but still would not say when the fighting will end.
“The last estimate our ground commanders have is at 80, more or less, enemy forces still in the remaining areas,” Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in a Palace news briefing.
The number includes mostly members of the Maute group, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon—the so-called Southeast Asian “emir” of the Islamic State, and other foreign fighters.
“As to when this ends, we don’t know… but it won’t last longer [since it’s been] many weeks already,” he said.
Padilla said it was up to the ground commander to determine if even stronger military action will be needed in Marawi, amid reports of more air raids were planned in the coming days to flush the terrorists out of the city.
“The amount of force applied to a specific target should be commensurate to the target that needs to be destroyed, so if it’s a small target, it’s a small ordnance. If it’s a big target, then it demands a bigger ordnance,” he said.
Padilla said that the offensive and clearing operations have been progressing well in all areas, with less than 1,000 houses and establishments in Marawi that still need to be cleared. Troops are clearing at an average of a hundred a day, he said.
“We are doing everything we can to end this problem as soon as possible but you know that this operation isn’t that easy,” he said.
“The number of areas held by these terrorists is dwindling by the day and the more we get into the area of these problematic barangays, we are able to clear more of the remaining buildings that have been left,” he added.
The military on Friday assured the public that there will be transparency and accountability for the local and foreign donations for those affected by the conflict in Marawi City.
“Accountability and transparency have been a main consideration,” Padilla said.
Padilla said that donations given to fallen soldiers and victims of the Marawi conflict will be reported, adding that foreign donations will be taken care of by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Finance.
“There will be appropriate reports to be prepared by the NDRRMC and the Inter-Agency Task Force Bangon Marawi, as a report to the public and to the donor countries on how it was spent. It’s our obligation and we will do that,” Padilla said.
Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said that since the donation drive started, the fund for soldiers killed now amounts to more than P3.2 million deposited through state-owned LandBank, while donations for Marawi internally displaced persons now totals P760,927.21.
Cash on hand meanwhile, from flag carrier Philippine Airlines is at P11,785.
A tent city to be converted as a temporary resettlement is already in the works after the inter-agency task force Bangon Marawi started to outline plans for recovery and reconstruction of the besieged city.
“And as of this morning, we were informed that based on the plans, there will be about 3,000 of these units that will be set up to act as the temporary shelter for our evacuees whose houses have been damaged during the conflict,” Padilla said.
He said, however, those residents whose homes had not been damaged by the conflict will be assisted in returning to their homes once the hostilities have ended and the all-clear signal has been given.
A temporary area for commercial establishments will likewise be provided to enable the delivery of services and business transactions.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana assured the public that the government will repair civilian homes which were damaged in the fighting once rehabilitation work in the area goes full swing.
“As the fighting [in Marawi City] winds down, there will be a survey here soon to assess the damage [here] so that we can have a ballpark figure to determine [how much money] we need to restore Marawi,” he said in Filipino.
“We will prioritize civilian homes [damaged in the fighting]. The President has promised to help everybody [in Marawi City] to rebuild their homes,” Lorenzana said.
Maute Group terrorists killed in the ongoing Marawi City conflict is now at 351, while firearms seized reached 425.
The number of civilians killed by the terrorists is placed at 39, while the number of rescued civilians is placed at 1,723.
Fighting in Marawi City broke out when government security troops tried to arrest Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon and ISIS “emir” in Southeast Asia last May 23.
Senator Francis Escudero commended Lorenzana for admitting that his office and the military underestimated the strength of the Maute rebels who overran Marawi City.
Escudero said he welcomes Lorenzana’s admission, which he said was a good sign that the government is humble enough to admit their shortcomings.
He also said the admission is a necessary step towards finding a solution to the crisis.
Senator Gregorio Honasan II, also a member of the minority bloc, urged security forces not to set unrealistic deadlines. With Macon Ramos-Araneta