Duterte returning to Marawi City
President Duterte will return to warravaged Marawi City “in a few days,” when the deadly siege of the Islamic State-linked rebels has been resolved. In his visit to Dumaguete City last Friday, the President said he hopes the conflict in Marawi City will end “soon so we can move forward.”
“We are now in the fourth month of fighting but hopefully, it will be over soon. I’m going there maybe… well I’m going there somehow, in a few days pag matapos na unta na [when it’s already done],” he said in his remarks.
“I tell the people in both camps of the terror- ists and our forces that nobody wins the fight,” he said.
The President has visited Marawi City six times to boost the morale of government troops since the clashes with the rebels erupted last May 23.
He last visited the strife-torn area on October 2.
Duterte explained that the resolution of the Marawi conflict has taken so long due to the government’s calibrated operations against the rebels.
Apart from the presence of hostages, the terror group has positioned snipers and scattered improvised explosive devices, he added.
He admitted that it was “very appalling” that the rebels have not yet run out of weapons and ammunition since the siege in Marawi was launched last May 23.
“We did not expect the resistance and the resurface in that dimension,” he said.