Maute rebels want to surrender but fear being killed, Lorenzana told

A Marine soldier is seen at the frontline in Marawi City in the southern Philippines Wednesday, September 27, 2017, as fighting between military and pro- ISIS militants continue. Photo by Jeoffrey Maitem

Members of the Maute terrorist group want to surrender but fear for their lives, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday.

“Sinabi sakin ni [Lanao del Sur] Rep. Mauyag Papandayan during the Marawi briefing by the Muslim Affairs Committee na gusto nilang sumurrender…. Ang request lang daw, ‘wag lang sila patayin,” he said in a press briefing.

(I was told by Rep. Mauyag Papandayan during the Marawi briefing by the Muslim Affairs Committee that they want to surrender… Their only request was that they won’t be killed.)

The Defense secretary assured the Maute members that they will not be killed.

“Of course we will not kill people who are surrendering, hindi naman murderer ang mga sundalo eh (the soldiers are not murderers). People who will surrender, we will take them in,” he said.

He repeated his statement at Congress on Thursday that the Marawi crisis will end on Sunday.

“Kahapon hindi pa nakuha yung White Mosque (Yesterday, the White Mosque wasn’t taken over yet) but this morning I got this text na nakuha na (saying it was taken already). So konti na lang. I think mukhang by Sunday tapos na ito eh (So there’s only a little bit more. I think by Sunday this will be over),” Lorenzana said.

The Marawi crisis reached its 129th day on Thursday, after fighting between government troops and Maute terrorists broke out on May 23. /je