Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
TACLOBAN CITY – Senator Sonny Angara said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should give focus on urban warfare in the wake of threats posed by terror groups like the Maute, which has engaged government troops in a battle in Marawi City for over a month now.
He said the ongoing gun battle in Marawi City should serve as a lesson to the Armed Forces of the Philippines that the soldiers need to train in urban warfare.
Angara said he understood why the war to regain the city of Marawi had taken the government troops more than a month and it was because the soldiers didn’t have the necessary skills and training in urban warfare.
“I think they should conduct retraining on urban warfare,” he said. “I suggest that because I talked to the wounded soldiers who told me that they were surprised by the strength of the enemy.”
Angara was in Tacloban on Thursday to attend the city government-sponsored Sangyaw Parade of Lights Festival as part of its fiesta celebration.
But he said that aside from the training, the army should also be furnished with new equipment.
Angara also called as an “exaggeration” the allegations by militant group Gabriela that some soldiers committed rape or looting in Marawi City. He said he believed in the character of the Filipino soldiers.
“Our soldiers are good people,” Angara said.
He proposed the setting up of Bangon Marawi Fund to rebuild the city ravaged by war. He said the fund can source its initial budget from the present P21.8 billion in calamity fund. Angara said the rebuilding of Marawi should be included in next year’s general appropriations. GAL