Lorenzana vows troops who looted homes in Marawi will be punished

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. (Photo by Noy Morcoso / INQUIRER.net0

DAVAO CITY — Government troops who could be proven to have been involved in looting during the five-month fighting in Marawi City would feel “the full force of the law,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana vowed on Tuesday.

Lorenzana gave the commitment on Tuesday on his return with President Rodrigo Duterte from a two-day visit in Japan.

He added that an investigation had been going to identify and punish troops involved in stealing properties of residents who fled as fighting between security forces and Islamic State-inspired terrorists raged.

“It’s not acceptable that a law enforcement agent who’s supposed to protect [civilians] is the one who steals from them,” the defense chief said.

The military has confirmed an officer and five enlisted personnel are being investigated for possible wrongdoing.

Lorenzana admitted receiving complaints from civilians about soldiers stealing from homes in Marawi.

“But we did not believe [these] at first as it was still during the height of the fighting,” he said.

Lorenzana said some soldiers also claimed that some houses allegedly were already in disarray when troops set foot there.

“We are going to punish them. They will be punished accordingly,” Lorenzana said.

He said in cases where no soldier could be identified and prosecuted, the military would pay the owners of the houses or establishments.

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