By GENALYN D. KABILING, Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
The military has started to pull out some soldiers from Marawi City following President Duterte’s declaration of the liberation of the war-torn place from terrorist influence.
Armed Forces spokesman Major Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said the 1st Infantry Battalion has been sent off for their “much-needed break” and eventual training for their next assignment after an almost five month tour of duty in Marawi.
Padilla said the military unit, led by Lt. Col. Christopher Tampus, received the Silver Cross Medal and a Command Plaque from the Western Mindanao Command for the safe rescue of 34 hostages.
It was one of the first military teams deployed to Marawi following the deadly siege of Islamic State-linked militants last May.
“As we see the endgame of the armed hostilities inside Marawi, we will be shifting our forces to other areas for their required training and for their scheduled battalion or unit activities,” Padilla said during a Palace news conference.
Padilla, meantime, assured that the pullout of some soldiers does not mean the military was compromising the security of Marawi City.
“We are actually leaving other units to ensure the continuity of security coverage even during the process of the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and rebuilding of Marawi,” he said.
The President earlier declared that Marawi City has been liberated from terrorist influence a day after the troops killed top two leaders of the rebellion, Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon. Duterte said the liberation marked the start of the massive rehabilitation efforts in Marawi.
The President however ruled out any victory celebration in deference to the people killed and injured during the fighting, saying troops would just quietly leave the place.
Padilla meantime is hopeful they would fully clear Marawi City off the remaining terrorists within the next two days.
“With the number of hostages that has been rescued in the last 24 hours, we look forward to getting the rest of the hostages that still remain and addressing the armed threat that still exists,” he said during the Mindanao Hour/Bangon Marawi press briefing Friday.
According to Padilla, there still are about half-a-hectare of conflict area remaining and few more building left to be cleared.
Based on the recent record of the AFP, the number of enemies killed now stands at 897. The number of civilians killed remains at 47 while the number of rescued civilians is now at 1,777.
However, Padilla noted that a soldier was killed during one of the assaults in the remaining areas where stragglers are still holed up.