Spokesperson Roque pays tribute to Marawi soldiers

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque paid tribute to the soldiers who fought and died in the Marawi siege on Saturday, May 23.

“Today, as we remember Marawi, we pay tribute to the heroism of our fallen men in uniform during the siege of the Islamic City” Roque said.

He also said the government has made progress in the relocation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and rebuilding Marawi’s key infrastructures.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) provided a total of 4,866 transitional shelters for IDPs. Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) said 2,911 of the said shelters were already occupied as of January 2020. More housing units are still under construction and are expected to be finished before the year ends.

The task force also said the government is aiming to complete 3,580 units of permanent shelters before the first quarter of 2021 ends. 

Roque also said the Mapandi Bridge has already been reconstructed.

“We thank the people of Marawi for their patience and support for the government as we are also grateful for continuously working with the Administration to ensure Marawi’s successful rehabilitation” Roque ended.

The Marawi Siege, also called the Battle of Marawi, was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi between Philippine government forces and the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist militant groups. The militants associated themselves with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The siege lasted from May 23, 2017 to October 23, 2017.