Palace lauds 13 Marines killed in Marawi

MALACAÑANG hailed Sunday the gallantry of the 13 Marines who were killed during a fierce firefight in Marawi City on Satu r d ay.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Palace is "deeply saddened" by the death of the soldiers.

"They fought gallantly for the liberation of our Maranao brothers and sisters," he said.

He said the incident, albeit unfortunate, gives the government greater impetus to clear Marawi of lawless elements, save the trapped civilians, and restore order, security and normalcy to the city and its residents.

"Let us continue showing our strong support to our courageous and heroic men and women in uniform fighting for Marawi and defending the Republic," Abella said.

The military was hoping to "liberate" Marawi from the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group on Monday, Independence Day.

The terrorists have been occupying Marawi since May 23, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in the whole of Mindanao.

Meanwhile, with the planned rally, dubbed "National Day of Prayer and Action for Peace and Human Rights" at the Andres Bonifacio Shrine beside the Manila City Hall on Monday, Abella said it "shows how vibrant democracy is in the Philippines."

"This right includes the right to air people's grievances, including opposition to the proclamation of martial law in the whole island of Mindanao," he added.

Different groups, including former and present lawmakers, are set to hold the rally to reiterate their call for the President to lift martial law in Mindanao and for the respect of human rights. (SDR/ SunStar Philippines)