Duterte assumes full responsibility over Marawi crisis

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte is taking full responsibility for the Marawi siege, admitting that his administration had shortcomings in its handling of the crisis, which began exactly a year ago today. 

Duterte admitted that he did not expect the clashes between government forces and terrorists to last for months.

“We had a very sad experience in the Marawi siege. And we all know... that we have fallen short in some respects the way it was handled. I assume full responsibility,” the President said during the 120th anniversary of the Philippine Navy yesterday in Manila.

“I did not anticipate or even guess that there would be so much ordnance and the fight would take us about four months to finish. All of these faults, if it is indeed one, or our faults, it belongs and it falls on my shoulders as commander-in-chief. And I assume full responsibility to the nation for what’s going to happen,” he added. 

Terrorists from the Islamic State (IS)-inspired Maute group laid siege on Marawi for more than four months starting May 23, 2017, prompting Duterte to place the entire Mindanao under martial law. 

Nearly 1,000 militants, more than 160 government troopers and almost 100 civilians were killed and about one million residents were displaced during the crisis, the longest urban war in the Philippines since World War II.

Duterte declared Marawi liberated from terrorists last October but did not lift martial law because of the alleged threats posed by the surviving Maute group members. Congress has voted to extend military rule in Mindanao until the end of the year. 

Duterte yesterday also praised the military and the police for protecting Marawi residents from the threats posed by the IS-inspired militants. 

“I congratulate and I pay homage to my soldiers, my policemen and I was there almost nine times to join them even at night just to give them the esprit de corps… It was a very harsh condition,” he added. 

Duterte also lauded the Navy for their role in rebuilding the battle-ravaged city. 

“It was only last year when we celebrated the Philippine Navy’s anniversary during the Marawi siege. Then, we honored the heroic efforts of the men and women of the Navy and Marines in the liberation of Marawi. Today, we once again honor them as we make significant progress in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of that city,” he said. 

Malacañang said the President is also satisfied with efforts to rebuild Marawi, including the government’s provision of houses to a majority of residents affected by the crisis.

“(The President) is satisfied and the President has full trust in (housing chief) General (Eduardo) del Rosario,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing. 

“What is important is 70 percent of the residents have gone back to Marawi and are occupying homes that we built for them and life goes on for a greater majority of the residents of Marawi,” he added. 

Officials said the rehabilitation of the main combat zone in Marawi and surrounding areas is expected to cost P72.2 billion. The government aims to finish all rehabilitation projects by 2021.

Roque claimed the government is ahead of schedule in terms of rebuilding the conflict-ravaged communities, but he admitted that the rebuilding of the most affected areas is just about to start. 

Over 100,000 displaced children

A year after Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao, more than 100,000 children are still displaced and facing more risks, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.

The agency noted that many families apart from those displaced from Marawi City have been affected, including children.

Host families have shared homes, food, possessions and school materials with children temporarily living with them. 

UNICEF said the situation of children living in Lanao del Sur was among the worst in the country even before the Marawi crisis. For this reason, UNICEF called for a province-wide approach throughout Lanao del Sur to ensure that children and their families fully recover from the crisis.

“With many displaced families moving from Marawi City to other areas in Lanao del Sur, the capacity of the province to provide essential services for children, and the capacity of host families to support their displaced relatives, has been even further challenged,” said UNICEF country representative Lotta Sylwander.

“While recognizing the good progress made to assist over 40,000 families to return to their homes in Marawi City, many children’s lives are still far from returning to normal,” she said.

As of yesterday, the military is still clearing certain areas in Marawi City of unexploded ordnances like artillery rounds, grenade projectiles and improvised exlosive devices (IEDs).

The military’s bomb experts are using calibrated liquid bomb disruptor explosives to set off live ordnances and improvised explosive devices laid by terrorists, according to Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Joint Task Forces Ranaw, said most of the damaged structures remain as risks.

“They cannot return and live in that place, there are still many unrecovered IEDs and unexploded ordnance which will post danger to the lives of the civilians,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 641 officers and soldiers who fought in Marawi were promoted to the next rank in a ceremony held in Fort Bonifacio yesterday.

Four colonels who served as company commanders during the battle received their first star as brigadier generals.

Thirty-six were promoted to master sergeant, 98 to technical sergeant, 103 to staff sergeants, 193 to sergeant and 211 to corporal. 

The Philippine Army said the number of promoted officers and soldiers recognized yesterday is just part of the large promotion of 4,252 soldiers this year who are all being rewarded for their contributions in the fight to liberate Marawi.

Gov’t efforts ‘inadequate’

The independent opposition bloc in the House of Representatives hit the slow pace of the rehabilitation of Marawi.

“One year after Marawi City was almost obliterated in the aftermath of the unremitting joint military-police offensive… the promised rehabilitation of Marawi has barely started,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said.

Lagman also pointed out that the Duterte government’s response to the crisis in Marawi is “inadequate” and it “may further enflame extremism in the area.”

“Maranaos fear that land ownership problems will lead to land grabbing; appropriation by the state of ancestral lands for government projects and bank foreclosures of mortgaged properties,” he added. 

Human rights group Karapatan and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have condemned the atrocities committed during the martial rule in Marawi City.

Karapatan said it has submitted to United Nation experts and concerned local officials a report on the civil and political rights violations committed under martial law in Mindanao. The group also urged the UN to investigate the atrocities.    – With Pia Lee-Brago, John Unson, Roel Pareño, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rhodina Villanueva, Delon Porcalla, Michael Punongbayan

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