[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Army’s 82IB in Marawi: ‘Don’t worry, we’re safe’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – The Philippine Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalion is now on its 10th day of deployment in terrorist-besieged Marawi City.
“To our families in Iloilo, don’t worry. We are safe here,” said Lieutenant Colonel Vener Morga, battalion commander.
Morga is leading the 458-strong battalion secure areas of Marawi City that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has cleared of terrorists since the siege started on May 23.
“We are not in the battle areas. We are securing areas considered cleared already. These include hospitals and other establishments,” said Morga in a telephone interview.
Morga and his men left their camp in Miag-ao, Iloilo for Marawi City on June 17.
“We are securing the cleared areas so these won’t be penetrated again by the Maute terrorist group,” said Morga.
All of his men were safe, he stressed.
According to the AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Edgar Arevalo yesterday, more defense positions of the Maute terrorist group were being neutralized.
“The AFP is winning in this battle. The victory is irreversible, it is just a matter of time before we will be able to complete our mission,” said Arevalo.
Aside from the 82nd Infantry Battalion, the 1st Infantry Battalion from Bicol is also helping secure cleared areas of Marawi.
“We don’t know until when we’re staying here,” said Morga.
Aside from the shrinking of the Maute group’s defensive perimeter, Arevalo said, they have been receiving reports of conflict among the members and the leadership of the terrorists over finances and waning logistical support.
With the reduction of Maute group combatants, some civilian hostages were being forced to fight or carry ammunitions and supplies for the terrorists, with execution as the alternative for those who refuse, said Arevalo.
He placed the number of civilians still being held hostage between 150 to 200, and the remaining Maute group members between 100 to 120 holed up in four barangays.
As of this writing, the AFP counted 27 civilians executed by the terrorists and 70 troopers and police officers killed in the ongoing operations, along with 268 Maute combatants neutralized since May 23.
Arevalo said they also received reports that Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, the ISIS “Emir” in Southeast Asia, abandoned his companions.
“This has to be validated but if he has indeed left, the AFP will continue to track him down,” said Arevalo. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
