By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent
EXACTLY after five months of intense fighting, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declared the termination of the hostilities between the government troops and the Isis-linked Maute terror group in Marawi City.
Lorenzana made the announcement during the Asean defense ministers meeting, a regional security forum among member nations in the former Clark Airbase.
“After 154 days of siege in Marawi with Daesh-inspired Maute-Isis group, after a week the commander-in-chief declared the liberation of Marawi City, we now announce the termination of combat operations in Marawi City,” Lorenzana said.
“The Philippine security forces, aided by its government and the massive support of the Filipino people have nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines,” he said.
Lorenza said by crushing the attempt of the Maute-Isis terrorists to take over Marawi, the most serious attempt ever by the extremists, the Philippines have prevented its spread in Asia.
“We declare that this achievement is clear manifestation of how our regional cooperation can lead to a decisive advance against the proliferation of terrorism in this part of the world,” Lorenzana said.
The price of ending the fighting and taking back Marawi City was costly.
About 165 soldiers, including 10 officers and 155 enlisted personnel, died in the almost daily street-fighting in Marawi City.
Another 1,754 soldiers (the size of an Army regiment) — 98 officers, including an Army colonel who was leading his battalion, and 1,695 enlisted personnel were wounded.
Forty-seven civilians ere killed in the crossfire and the entire population of Marawi City were forced to live in crowded evacuation centers and homes of family members in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and as far away as Iloilo and Bacolod.
Hundreds of terrorists, many waving Isis-style black flags seized Marawi City last May 23 and ransacked banks, stores and houses.
They seized a total of 1,780 hostages which were later rescued by government troops, including Fr. Chito Soganub.
Last Monday, troops killed terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon, the “emir” of Isis in Philippines, and Omar Maute, leader of the Maute group.
Another brother, Abdullah Maute, was reportedly killed in the fighting in August but the military was not able to present any proof of his death.
In the fighting on Sunday, soldiers found the bodies of about 40 Maute gunmen inside a building where they made their last stand in Marawi City.
A military officer who asked not to be identified said they believed that some of the terrorists committed suicide rather than surrender to the troops.
Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur crisis committee, said they were elated by Lorenzana’s announcement.
Adiong said the rehabilitation plans submitted to Task Force Bangon Marawi should be implemented right away.
“Let us now channel our resolve from fighting the terrorists to working for the healing our shattered community. The social healing should start now,” Adiong said.
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