AFP: Rehabilitation plans in Marawi underway

COMBAT READY Armored personnel carriers deployed by the Philippine Army drive down a village road in Marawi. —AFP

Fighting continued in Marawi City for the 30th day on Wednesday but the government has already started its rehabilitation plans for the besieged city.

Brig. Gen. Ramiro Rey, commander of Task Force Ranao, said that the military is coordinating with the local government for their plans on the recovery and rehabilitation of Marawi City.

“We already have locations for our future tent city. We’re also looking for the possible recovery of dead bodies after this crisis,” he told reporters in a televised press briefing.

Rey said they don’t have any estimate for the number of bodies they could possibly recover but they are preparing for their identification.

“Wala pang estimate how many bodies (There’s still no estimate on the number of bodies); that will be determined after the conflict but the local government of Marawi and provincial government of Lanao del Sur are now preparing for that. Pati process, pag-identify ng process ng mga bodies na ito (As well as the process of identifying these bodies),” he said.

Four barangays remained in the control of the ISIS-linked Maute group as of Wednesday, and the military is being extra careful with its clearing operations.

“’Yung report from operators sa loob, the enemy is now using IEDs sa mga houses and to the extent of using LPG tanks para pagpasok ng tropa, paputukin ‘yung bahay. Lately, napansin niyo may mga sunog and they are using gasoline and LPG in every house na occupy, kaya dahan-dahan na iclear ang tropa,” Rey said.

(The reports from the inside say that the enemy is now using IEDs in the houses and to the extent of using LPG tanks that if troops come in, they will bomb the house. Lately, you can see that there are fires, and they are using gasoline and LPG in every house they occupy, that’s why the troops are carefully clearing them out.)

The government earlier said it will allocate P10 billion for the rebuilding of Marawi City, which will be spearheaded by the Department of National Defense.

Joint Task Force Marawi spokesperson Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera said the military is still confronting about a hundred militants.

The terrorists are also using civilians as human shields, wherein they are even asked to carry bombs.

Herrera said there were about 100 civilians who are being held hostage in parts of Marawi.

As of 8 p.m. on Tuesday, 66 were killed from the government side, while 268 militants were believed to be killed. JE