AFP enters critical stage in Marawi offensive

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The battle for Marawi has entered the final, critcal phase, according to the military.

Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said eight soldiers have been killed since Aug. 2 as the final phase of military operations to flush out Maute militants began.

“As of (Tuesday) night, it is with grief that we report 122 soldiers were already killed due to the continuous fighting in the main battle area,” Petinglay said.

She stressed the troops are facing a suicidal enemy in the last stages of the campaign.

“As our soldiers advance and get closer to the main objective, anything can happen. The situation is getting more critical,” she said.

Petinglay said the troops had encountered some 70 heavily armed militants in close-quarter combat.

The military said the presence of about 50 to 70 civilian hostages is compounding the problem.

Troops rescued three civilians who were able to run away during the fighting.

Petinglay said the fighting had been confined to a square kilometer general area where the terrorists are still holed up.

She reported the troops have killed 539 militants and recovered 607 firearms since the fighting broke out on May 23.

She added civilian casualties stood at 45 with 1,728 non-combatants rescued.

Anonymous

Families of soldiers killed in the Marawi campaign will receive P1 million in cash on top of the benefits coming from the government, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Año said yesterday.

Año handed out the P1 million cash to surviving family members of five fallen soldiers in yesterday’s ceremonial turnover at AFP headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

An unnamed donor deposited the amount in the account of AFP Marawi Casualty at Landbank of the Philippines. The account was opened in June for those who have expressed desire to help the families of soldiers who died in battle.

“On behalf of the AFP, our soldiers and their families, I wish to commend the generosity of our benefactor who chose to remain anonymous despite the enormity of this gesture,” Año said.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said the anonymous donor deposited an initial P98 million to the Land Bank account.

He said the donor also pledged to give P1 million to the families of soldiers who might be killed in action in Marawi until the last day of the military campaign.

“The lone philanthropist donor who wished to remain anonymous despite the large amount of financial aid, pledged and actually donated P1 million each to the kin of our brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting to wrest Marawi City from terrorists’ control,” Arevalo said.

Año also handed out the same amount of cash donations to each family of three soldiers who died fighting in Marawi during his visit at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City.

“What is immensely admirable with this anonymous donor, apart from his or her selflessness in giving away such an enormous sum of money, is the expressed commitment to provide P1 million each to the families of soldiers who may be killed in action, God forbid, in the continuing crisis,” Arevalo said.

The remaining amount of donations will be turned over by the AFP leadership to major services to fast-track distributions of the financial assistance to the families of the remaining soldiers who died fighting in Marawi, Arevalo said. 

Marawi rehab

Lawmakers, on the other hand, created a special committee to assess and review the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City.

The chamber approved a resolution filed by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito creating the special committee.

“The special committee would assess and investigate the extent of damage to the properties, infrastructure and facilities such as roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, buildings and other structures in Marawi City,” the resolution said.

“It will also study the estimated cost of construction and rehabilitation of the damaged properties, infrastructure and facilities or other matters that may be necessary for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City,” it said.  –  With Jaime Laude, Paolo Romero, Edu Punay, Elizabeth Marcelo