No one wants to fight a war on their own shores. No one wants terrorists to gain a foothold in their own country. The Battle of Marawi was not expected. When we found out that Isnilon Hapilon was in a safehouse at Barangay Basak, Malutlot, Marawi City, on the 23rd of May 2017, soldiers raided …
Marawi City, with its cool weather, is called the summer capital of the south. Rich in history, culture, natural resources, scenic landscapes, flourishing businesses, and trade. Its vibrancy would never make one suspect that it would be the cause of division and defiant activities leading to a massive tragedy. The Marawi Crisis posed great challenges. …
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What happened in Marawi City may be a portent of things to come in the realm of global terrorism. The Philippine Army must put extra effort into developing and enhancing its capabilities and competence in order to be able to respond adequately should a need arise. Although the ISIS–Maute Terrorist Group was defeated in the …
On the 23rd of May 2017, our forces moved in to raid the safehouse of Isnilon Hapilon, the so-called Emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia. Involved in this operation were members of the Joint Special Operations Unit 3 (JSOU3) supported by the 4th Scout Ranger Company (4SRC), the 14th Division Reconnaissance Company (14DRC), and the …
When the initial security reports from Marawi City reached Moscow through Special Assistant to the President, Secretary Christopher Lawrence Go, he immediately relayed its contents to the President. The President, who was currently in a meeting with his Russian counterpart, excused himself and summoned to a closed door meeting, the Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, his …
On May 23, 2017, majority of our forces under the operational command of the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) were conducting Focused Military Operations (FMO) against communist terrorists at a distance of about 30 kilometers from Marawi City. Our forces in Marawi City consisted of a handful of soldiers, most of them were part of the …
During the Marawi crisis, we used and applied the hard power approach in fighting against the ISIS-Maute terrorists and liberating Marawi City from their clutches. As such, we created, organized, and utilized JTF Marawi for destroying this terrorist group. Our Operations Cell under Lt Col Tex Suderio integrated the hard power approach into our strategy …
FMO provided the lethal aspect of IO. These were the various capabilities that we utilized in fighting the ISIS-Maute Terrorist Group in Marawi City. We translated our tactical gains from the MBA to the information environment through the use of: print, broadcast, interactive media, and digital/social media platforms. Through these, we were able to show …
During the Marawi crisis, our government forces utilized combined arms, joint, and interagency manner against the ISIS-Maute Terrorist Group. Units with different competencies, functions, and skills performed combined arms operations in an urban terrain. In the application of combined arms in Marawi City, we relied on the: synergy, synchronization, coordination, and integration of different maneuver, …
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Our application of the soft power approach during the crisis won the hearts and minds of the nation. It was manifested through the tremendous outpouring of support that we received from the affected communities and the general public. With the overwhelming support of the public, the legitimacy of our military operations against the ISIS-Maute Terrorist …