Stragglers continue to hold out in Marawi

Task Force Bangon Marawi revealed Friday that the post-conflict needs assessment (PCNA) in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur was suspended due to the presence of terrorists in the wartorn city.

This, after it was revealed during the Bangon Marawi press briefing Friday that the Task Force has finished the PCNA in 49 barangays.

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Eduardo del Rosario also noted that they were yet to conduct PCNA in 47 barangays.

“We are now suspended in the conduct of this activity because of the presence of some stragglers in the main battle area or ground zero,” he said.

“But we have completed 49 barangays and there are still 47 barangays remaining,” he added.

Del Rosario said the Task Force was hoping to resume the PCNA by the end of the month as there were still around 50 terrorists in the city.

“’Yung last estimate natin (Our last estimate) is about 50 [terrorists]. But of the 50, marami na ring mga na-neutralize ng (many of them have been neutralized already by our) government because they’re fighting it out,” he said.

“So it is suspended and we hope that by the end of the month or early December, we can start with the PCNA so that we will have a complete data before we can come up with a complete package of the Master Rehabilitation Plan,” he added.

“So hopefully, by third week or last week of November, it will be done already so that we can start with the PCNA at the soonest possible time,” he continued.

This developed as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that is has already cleared all roads in the main battle area (MBA) of Marawi City as recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts continued in the war-torn city.

AFP Public Affairs Chief Marine Colonel Edgard Arevalo, said construction engineers from the Army, Air Force, and Navy have been working day-in and day-out to ensure that 100 percent of the primary roads and bridges in the main battle area (MBA) of Marawi would be passable and cleared of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Arevalo said more than 500 military engineers are currently deployed in Marawi City as part of the Joint Engineer Task Group (JETG) led by Brigadier General Arnold Fernandez. The task group is supporting the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation operations being led by Task Force Bangon Marawi.

In its report, the JETG has already completed the ground preparation of portions of temporary resettlement area in Sagon-songan while clearing operations continue in the MBA.