Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
The month-long conflict in Marawi may be finished in a week or two, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Tuesday.
In a radio interview over DZRH, the defense official admitted that there has been a “bit of pressure” to end the month-long siege in Marawi with President Rodrigo Duterte scheduled to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (Sona).
“Medyo meron pressure dahil alam mo kung nandyan pa rin yung Marawi [conflict] at nagpapatayan pa rin eh parang hindi maganda sa State of the Nation Address ng Presidente,” he said.
(There is a bit of pressure because if the Marawi conflict and the clashes continue, it won’t look good for the President’s Sona.)
READ: Desperation builds for Marawi folk
Duterte is scheduled to deliver his second Sona on July 24.
Lorenzana also said he was told by Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año that the gunbattle may be over in a week.
“Sabi sa’kin ni Gen. Año nu’ng tinanong ko last week eh sabi niya ‘Siguro, sir, baka isang linggo na lang ‘yan baka tapos na ‘yan,’” he said.
(Gen. Año told me last week, “Sir, it might be over in one week.”)
The military earlier said it would no longer set deadlines after failing to meet earlier ultimatums to end the conflict.
READ: AFP: No more set deadline for freeing Marawi City from terrorists
“Ito kasing Maute parang nakikita namin dito e they are going to fight to the death na eh….Sinasabihan namin sila na mag surrender na kayo, hindi na kayo mananalo pero patuloy pa rin ang operation. Pero matatapos na siguro ito bago magkaroon ng Sona, siguro tapos na yan,” he added.
(We see the Maute extremists as fighting to death already. We have been convincing that to surrender because they will not win, but they still continue their operation. But this might be over before Sona.)
Lorenzana said they are already looking forward to start with the recovery and rehabilitation of Marawi City.
“Sandali na lang po at matatapos na ito..So ‘yun ang gagawin natin tutulungan natin ‘yung mga kababayan d’yan ibalik’ yung kanilang mga tahanan sa dati at i-repair natin ‘yung infrastructure…Siguro sandali na lang po, one or two weeks na lang tapos na ito,” he said.
(It will be over shortly. We are already setting our sights on helping the residents rebuild their homes and repair the infrastructure. It may take just a short time, it will be over in probably one or two weeks.)
Thousands have been displaced as the fighting between government troops and the Islamic State-linked terrorists continued to rage for a month now. The military had 70 deaths since the fighting started on May 23. Nearly 300 terrorists, including foreign fighters, had been killed. IDL/rga