Rody: Sue me over Marawi devastation

DAVAO CITY – If anyone is to be sued for the devastation of Marawi City during the five-month conflict between government forces and the Islamic State-linked Maute group, it should be President Duterte and no one else, according to the Chief Executive himself.

“I hold myself solely responsible for what happened, including... the incidents there, the events that transpired. Sabi

ko (I said), ‘I take full responsibility for all,’” Duterte said.

In going after the Maute terrorists, the President also declared martial law in Mindanao, which is expected to be lifted by the end of the year.

He earlier declared the liberation of Marawi City from terrorists after the deaths of their leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute.

A group of residents and concerned citizens is reportedly planning to file charges against the government for the assault on Marawi, which resulted in the displacement of more than 200,000 people and the deaths of more than 1,000, at least 169 of whom were government forces.

“Let me answer you here and now, that I declared martial law to answer the challenges of the moment and I take full legal, criminal and civil liability. Ako ’yun (It was me),” Duterte said during a press conference at the Davao International Airport here before he left for a three-day working visit to Tokyo the other night.

The President said it is within the rights of individuals, groups or organizations to file such charges even before the International Criminal Court.

“Yes. It’s well within their rights to do that. I agree… that if you have a gripe, and you think that justice should be done, and if they think that the Philippine courts would be prejudiced or biased, they can always go to the International Criminal Court,” he said.

The Chief Executive likewise said he is amenable to the conduct of a deeper investigation on how the Maute group was able to get so much materiel to fight the government in Marawi City.

Duterte said that as far as his office is concerned, it would be the executive department and the Armed Forces and the police that should study carefully how the fighting evolved and how to fight a new war.

Duterte said government forces need more training in urban warfare.

“That’s why… it is a universal fact that in the Middle East, it took them one year, two years to do it. It’s because there is always a high-rise building, where you can position yourself comfortably while waiting for the kill, and I said, in penetrating a lot of almost indestructible cover,” he said.

Finish them off by December

Meanwhile, Duterte ordered government forces to finish off the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups by December, Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said.

The Westmincom, according to Galvez, would redeploy the forces in Maguindanao, Basilan and Sulu to sustain its operations against the remaining terrorist cells.

He said there are two prominent terrorists groups left in Maguindanao and their movements were being tracked in the areas of Piagapo and Butig towns.