(Eagle News) — The Palace on Saturday, May 23, paid tribute to the government troops killed in the Marawi siege in 2017.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque lauded the heroism of the uniformed personnel on the third anniversary of the attack on the city in Lanao del Sur by local terrorists, who had reportedly wanted to establish an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia at that time.
The siege lasted for at least five months and left over 500 individuals dead, and thousands of people displaced.
“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.
According to the Palace official, the government has “already made inroads in relocating internally displaced persons (IDPs) and building the key infrastructures” of the city.
Roque made reference to the report of the Task Force Bangon Marawi which said that 3,866 transitional shelters for displaced residents and 2,911 units have already been occupied.
The reconstruction of Mapandi Bridge has also reportedly been finished.
“The task of rebuilding Marawi remains enormous. We thank the people of Marawi for their patience and support to the government as we are also grateful to our partners and allies for continuously working with the administration to ensure Marawi’s successful rehabilitation,” Roque said.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city “liberated” from the terrorist forces in October of the same year, following the deaths of terrorist leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon in the hands of government security forces.