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| President Duterte plays soldier in Marawi City |
By Alexis Romero and Edith Regalado
MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte is ready to extend the operations in Marawi City by one year if it would mean saving even just one of those who are being held hostage by Maute militants.
Duterte said launching a full assault on the mosque that serves as the last stronghold of the terrorists would offend Muslims and place the lives of the captives in danger.
“If you destroy that, you’d have wounded the feelings of the entire Muslim world… The moment they rush up there, there will be clashes, and the captives will be beheaded. These are terrorists,” he told reporters in Cagayan de Oro last Saturday.
Duterte said he is not setting a timetable for the operations in Marawi but admitted that the siege has to end.
“If they say ‘Well, we need another six months,’ then we’ll just have to wait it out,” the President said, referring to government forces.
“If I can save one life there, I am willing to wait one year. If I save one life, that is the job of the soldier, then, they just surround the place and camp there until kingdom come if it could save a life,” he added.
More than 800 people have died since the Maute terrorists, which have professed loyalty to international extremist group Islamic State, laid siege to Marawi City last May 23.
The terrorist attacks prompted Duterte to place the entire island of Mindanao under martial law.
Read the full story at PhilStar