[SUNSTAR.PH] THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is hopeful that Marawi City will finally be liberated on Monday, June 12, which is also the 119th Independence Day of the Republic.During Friday’s Mindanao Hour press briefing in Manila, AFP spokesperson Restituto Padilla, said they are “feverishly working” on a target of raising the Philippine flag in Marawi City on Monday, the 119th year of Philippine Independence from Spanish colonial control.
“Rest assured, our soldiers are doing their part, they’re doing their best and are continuing on with this effort on the ground to facilitate the liberation of Marawi hopefully by Monday,” Padilla said.
Padilla said the resistance put up by the terrorist may have weakened by that day.
On Thursday, government soldiers began a final push to flush the terrorist out of Marawi, expected to conclude after four days.
Asked on the basis of the assessment, the AFP official said there was an offensive launched on Friday morning against enemy positions.
“So this continues up to this moment and we are confident our troops are gaining important headway inside these areas. And as I have mentioned the other day, definitely proving that the world of the terrorists inside the city is growing smaller by the day,” he said.
Padilla also noted that the volume of fire coming from the enemy has decreased and enemy activity in areas where so much has been monitored has dwindled, and sniper fire has been very selective. He said the end game is to have Isnilon Hapilon and the Maute brothers arrested “if we can arrest them.”
“But if we cannot, then to neutralize them, because I guess they will always fight it to the end,” he said. “So the liberation of Marawi will only be when every armed element in the city is gone,” the AFP official said.