The ongoing Marawi siege could have been worse if not for the “decisive” action of the government’s security forces,” Malacañang said on Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella made the statement a day after Solicitor General Jose Calida said the government had received advance information that the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group would attack Marawi City.
READ: Palace knew Marawi plot ahead of attack
“We need to take note of the fact that the early action of the military and the government has actually preempted their plans to be able to capture the city,” Abella said in a Palace breifing.
He said “the action on the ground preempted the plans” of the Maute terrorists.
“Apparently, were it not for the early and decisive action of the military then it could have been worse,” he said.
Asked why the country’s top security officials still joined President Rodrigo Duterte’s trip to Russia despite the possible attacks of terrorists, Abella said the officials were on top of the situation.
“They were all on top of the situation. They were actually monitoring everything,” he said.
The Palace official said the military acted “purposively and decisively” with the information they had received.
“So let’s give them credit. Let’s give credit to the military,” he said.
He said “it’s not a question of failure” on the part of the military.
“On our part, we were able to stop something which could have been much bigger,” he said. IDL/rga