Barangay Kilala, Marawi City
August 24, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visited the war-torn city of Marawi for the third time and talked to the troops at the battleground command post in Barangay Kilala.

The Commander-in-Chief visited ground zero to assess the situation in Marawi and check the condition of the troops who continue to fight the war against the Maute group for three months now.

He inspected a number of barangays currently under the control of the government troops and entered a house used by the Maute group as its temporary base in the battleground.

In his message, the President expressed his sentiments on the ongoing war against the terror group. “Kung may pera unahin ko ang armed forces pati pulis, I will build a strong Army, Air Force, Navy, pulis — para for all time we can always depend on you to — alam mo pareho tayo ng oath… we swore to protect the people and defend the republic, period,” he said.

“‘Yan ang maaasahan ninyo sa akin, I will serve you and see to it you are protected, you are safe, wala kayong sakit ng ulo etcetera. You fight for the country, ako na ang bahala… My commitment actually, hindi tayo aatras kasi sinabi ko it will not stop, I mean the counter insurgency campaign dito after the siege na hanggang the last terrorist is neutralized,” he added.

Aside from boosting the morale of the troops in Marawi through his message, the President also distributed food packs and G-shock watches to the soldiers.

His first visit was on July 20, 2017 at the 103rd Infantry (Haribon) Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Kampo Ranao, while his second visit was on August 4, 2017 at the Tactical Command Post (TCP) Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) in Barangay Kilala.

President Duterte was accompanied in Marawi City by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año.

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