Give up if you want to stay alive.
This is the ultimatum issued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the last 30 remaining Maute strugglers confined to a one-hectare area in Marawi City.
“That is the only way that they can get out alive from the main battle area,” stressed Gen. Eduardo Año, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in his visit to the Eastern Mindanao Command on Tuesday in Davao City.
He also clarified that the declaration of the liberation of Marawi means that the threat has been reduced to its lowest level.
“We are now regarding the situation as low enforcement matter, meaning to say yung remaining doon na 30 na strugglers hindi na sila nag constitute ng serious threat,”he said.
He said the strugglers are encouraged to surrender to the military.
“Meron tayo mga mega phones at public address system na sinasabing mag give up na sila, mag-surrender na lang,” he said.
He said that the AFP will continue to hunt the strugglers if they will not surrender and it will be very easy because they only have less than one hectare of land to cover.
He said that they needed to rescue the remaining 18 hostages from the main battle area. “Kailangan lang natin ma i-timing ang paglabas nila para makuha sila ng ating mga tropa,” said Año.
He said that Malasian terrorist Mahmud Ahmad will not mostly likely take over the leadership of the strugglers with the death of Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute. “Hindi siya pwede maging leader diyan kasi unang-una hindi sususonod ang locals sa kanya, pangalawa wala naman siya quality para maging leader. Siya ay nandoon bilang religious adviser and conduit lang siya ng pagpapadala ng pondo galing sa ISIS sa Middle east at siya rin yung contact ng mga ibang foreigners kung papaano papasok at mag-join sa Maute ISIS,” he said.
He said reports claiming that Mahmud Ahmad are uncertain for so long as his body is not found. .
At the same time, he said that the five million dollars offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States for the head of Isnilon Hapilon will be given to documented informants.
“Di lang ito isang informant kasi may mga talagang nag bigay ng mga information at ito ay mag undergo ng process,” he said. “Meron na tayong nakatalagang unit diyan na mag conduct ng validation para isubmit sa US government sa pangunguna ni West Mindanao Command Commander Lt. General Galvez.”
He said that in addition, the Philippine government has put up a P10Million pesos reward for Hapilon, a process that is considered easier and faster.
Gen. Ano said the fund that will be used for the rehabilitation of Marawi will be coming from the national Government and will be given to the task Force Marawi.
“Pinangungunahan ito ni Secretary Delfin Lorenzana,”he said.