Visit to Marawi City (Speech) 9/11/2017

Barangay Kilala, Marawi City
September 11, 2017


President Rodrigo Roa Duterte revisited the war-torn city of Marawi and spoke before the government troops in the battleground command post in Barangay Kilala.

He inspected the areas captured by the government troops from the ISIS linked Maute group and checked the situation of his men frontlining the ongoing siege.

The Commander-in-Chief went to the Grand Mosque and entered the holy place that once served as the major post of the Maute group in ground zero. He also inspected the Mapandi Bridge, a key bridge leading to Marawi City proper that was seized control by the Maute group following its attack in the city on May 23 of this year. The bridge was taken back by the government troops by the end of July.

As the President revisited the battleground command post of the government forces, he distributed food packs, cash assistance, and G-shock watches to the troops. Likewise, the Commander-in-Chief boosted the morale of his men once again.

In his message, President Duterte reassured the troops that they have his full support in the ongoing Marawi siege. He saluted the soldiers present in the command, as well as the entire government forces, as they continue to fight the terror group to defend their country and their fellow Filipinos.

“Let me salute you, ako’y mu salute ninyo. Daghang salamat sa inyong serbisyo sa atung nasud, thank you. Ako ang sumasaludo, congratulations! (Let me salute you, I will be the one to salute you. Thank you to your service for our country, thank you. Ako ang sumasaludo, congratulations!),” the President stressed.

President Duterte was accompanied in Marawi City by National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenza, who is also the administrator of Martial Law in Mindanao, as well as National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año.

*****

Connect with RTVM

Website: http://rtvm.gov.ph
Facebook: www.facebook.com/presidentialcom and www.facebook.com/rtvmalacanang
Twitter: @RTVMalacanang
Google+: google.com/+RTVMalacanang