After more than three months of fighting, government troops have been directed to sustain operations in Marawi City until their opponents are neutralized.

In his fourth visit to the Marawi battle zone, President Duterte told solders to give “no quarter” to the Islamic State-linked militants holed up in the city.

“Itong  giyera na ito, no quarters given, no quarters asked. Talagang matindi ito. Huwag na tayong magbolahan dito, patayan ‘to [In this war, there will be no quarters given, no quarters asked. This will be intense. Let’s not beat around the bush. There will be carnage],” Duterte said in his remarks before the soldiers in Marawi.

“Ngayon kung matatakot sila, sabihin nila, ‘We came here as martyrs to die.’ Eh tayo rin nandito. Magpapunta kaya tayo dito kung hindi tayo preparado mamatay [Now if they become afraid, they will say ‘We came here as martyrs to die.’ Well, we are ready too. Would we go here if we are not ready to die?],” he said.

The President said the IS militants know nothing but “brutality for no purpose at all,” citing their attacks in Iraq, Syria, and Libya.

But the President assured the soldiers that their lives are “not less important” than his life. He recognized that they are government workers, adding he was also willing to put his life on the line.

Duterte admitted that he wanted to order the troops to advance towards the remaining rebels to finally put an end to the siege.

“Baka sabihin magtapang-tapangan ako, gusto ko na ngang bumaba, p***, mga generals mauna diyan. Abante tayo para matapos na ito [I might be accused of false bravado, but I really wanted to go down there, let the generals go first. Let’s move forward to end this],” said Duterte, clad in a camouflage uniform and armed with a gun during his Marawi visit.

“Nakakainis kasi na… Napaka walang kwenta, sinira mo ang Marawi. Sinira mo ‘yung buhay ng… [Because it has become annoying. It is utterly senseless. You destroyed Marawi, destroyed the lives of the people],” Duterte said about the IS presence in the city.

The President, meantime, promised more modern equipment and improved healthcare benefits for the soldiers in appreciation of their hard work and sacrifices for the nation’s safety.

He said he would only authorize the purchase of brand new military equipment and weapons to help enhance the troops’ counterterrorism and defense capability.

“Whatever is best for you, I’ll give it all. Everything. Everything that the DND (Department of National Defense) asks for, if (Armed Forces chief) General (Eduardo) Año says it, then I’ll buy it right away. You are our priority,” he said.

Before ending his visit to Marawi, the President promised to bring some celebrities to entertain the battle-weary troops.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Genalyn D. Kabiling

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