AFP will regain Marawi, Cayetano assures UN

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines will regain full control of Marawi City from ISIS-inspired local terror groups, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told the United Nations General Assembly last Saturday.

Speaking on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines' top diplomat claimed that there is an "intimate and symbiotic relationship between terrorism vis-a-vis poverty and the illegal drug trade."

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Cayetano, however, said he is confidence that the Marawi conflict will be over soon and the rebuilding of the city will begin shortly.

He noted that the Maute group's hold on the city is a result of illegally-obtained arms and the terrorists' use of civilian hostages as human shields.

"There is also the government’s forbearance to unleash greater force so as to avoid collateral loss of life. The fight has been terrible but the effort has been patient and done with care to spare the innocent," Cayetano said in his speech before the 72nd session of the UNGA in New York.

He also thanked the international community for the assistance that several countries have extended to the victims of the conflict in Marawi and nearby areas.

"Thank you, dear friends, for helping when we needed it most," he said.

Last July, the European Union has provided 850,000 euros or about P49 million in humanitarian aid for the victims of the Marawi siege. The United States has pledged $15 million while Australia has provided $20 million for ongoing relief operations in the city.

Cayetano acknowledged that terrorism, particularly the threat of Islamic State, is a global threat that should be addressed by the international community.

"Rather, we should all be ready to confront a very potent threat that has spread to other parts of the world," the secretary said.

The Foreign Affairs secretary added that the Philippines welcomes the creation of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, which forwards the counterterrorism efforts of UN member states.

"It will be a sharing of experiences and sober reflections rather than of blind anxieties. That way lies real results," he said.

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