Duterte visits wake of slain Army captain

President Duterte visits the wake of Captain Rommel Sandoval and Private First Class Sherwin Canapi at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net

President Rodrigo Duterte visited the wake of Army Capt. Rommel Sandoval and Pfc. Class Sherwin Canapi , who died rescuing a comrade in strife-torn Marawi City, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) in Taguig City on Tuesday night.

Sandoval, commanding officer of the 11th Scout Ranger Company, was killed on Sunday when he and Canapi tried to rescue their wounded comrade in Dansalan town.

Duterte saw the send-off of Sandoval’s remains from Cagayan De Oro City to Manila on Monday.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 2005, Sandoval is the latest casualty in the Marawi siege.

Military data showed that as of 7 p.m., September 10, a total of 655 terrorists have already been killed while 145 government troops were slain in action at the protracted conflict in Marawi City, which is now on its 113th day.

The fighting in Marawi started on May 23 after local terrorists belonging to the Maute group attacked the city in a bid to establish an IS-inspired caliphate there.

President Duterte has since declared martial law in the whole of Mindanao to quell the threats of terrorism in the region. /kga