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Duterte tells how the government misread Maute threat

Pres. Duterte’s first public appearance after five-day absence at the 4th Infantry Division in Bancasi, Butuan City. Malacañang photo.

In his re-appearance speech five days after he was not seen in public, President Duterte gave an explanation for the military’s “mis-appreciation” of intelligence report that has been blamed for the difficulty being encountered by government forces in the ongoing war against the Islamist militants in Marawi city.

It will be recalled that Solicitor General Jose Calida said that the military had received intel reports about possible Maute- Abu Sayyaf attack in Marawi five days before May 23, when the fighting started sparked by the serving of warrant of arrest to ASG leader Isnilon Hapilon. The fierce fighting was the basis of the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao by Duterte on May 23 .

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who was in Moscow with the President together with other high-ranking security officials said there was no lapse in intelligence monitoring. “It’s just appreciation of the intelligence that was lacking there,” he said.

The President speaking before soldiers that compose the 401st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Advance Command post in Bancasi, Butuan City, gave his version of the armed conflict that has claimed the lives of at least 58 soldiers, 191 terrorists and a number of civilians. Almost 300,000 have been displaced and are miserable in evacuation centers.

Duterte explained: “ It was not a question of failure on the part of government. Kasi naman tayo, we have adapted a very soft policy towards sa mga rebels. And this came about because nagdadala sila ng baril eh. And since we are thinking of getting peace with the MNLF and MI, ang laro ng armas diyan, we took it for granted. We took it really for granted na. Pero alam natin na mabibigat. Pero hinayaan kasi natin because we never knew at that time kung sino talaga ang kalaban. Iyon bang mga pulitikong nag-aaway, nagri-rido sila, o iyong mga itong private army ba ito ng politicians?”

A convoy of Philippine marines pass through a deserted main street in Marawi as heavy fighting continues between ISIS inspired Maute militants and the government. Photo by Luis Liwanag for VERA Files.

Now, he said they realised, “Kalabas-labasan, itong Maute were bringing the firearms surreptitiously at hindi natin nakuha na gaano na karami ang ammo pati baril sa loob.”

He stressed, “It was not a failure of intelligence. Kasi kung makita pa silang may armas, tapos sabihin nila, MI, MN, ang standing order naman is ‘huwag ninyong galawin.’ Baka, baka sakali mapakiusapan pa natin ang mga kapatid natin, na walang gulo. But all the while, itong Maute, with the connivance of the politicians there, iyong mga warlords, were stockpiling.”

That’s the reason why, he said, the Islamic terrorist don’t seem to run out of arms and ammunition in the almost a month of of fighting:” Kaya ni hindi maubos iyong M-203 na bala at napakarami. Magputok ang isa ng gobyerno, dadagdagan na—ibabalik sa atin, lima. So parang endless supply when Maute rose to fight against government.”

He said the militants were ready last month and they were just waiting for an opportune time to attack. They got it in the attempted arrest of Hapilon. “ Naghihintay lang sila noon ng ‘bikil’ tawag nila, iyong rason at mag-serve ng warrant of arrest which is an everyday occurrence anywhere in the Philippines, lumaban. Ayun, nagkabakbakan. At iyong forces ng mga Indonesian nasa bukid-bukid, nagbabaan. So you have a conglomeration there of ISIS fighters from Syria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lankan, at iyong mga Arabo na — maputi. Maputi iyong Arabo eh, na… Kuwait. “

More than six months ago, the President dared the Maute Group to make good their threat to burn Marawi. Speaking at the Dec. 12 Wallace Business Forum Dinner in Malacañang, he said: “We took consideration of the Maute rebellion going on in Lanao…And they demanded that we stop the offensive. They are in there in the forest. I don’t know where and I said, they would stop fighting, provided we stop the offensive or not, they said that they will go down upon Marawi to burn the place. And I said, “Go ahead, do it.”

With Marawi in shambles, gone was the braggadocio last Saturday as Duterte spoke of “ the danger of Maute and ISIS.”

As he promised the soldiers more support,he cautioned them of the brutality of terror group: “Bantay kayo diyan. Mahirap kalabanin iyong taong gustong mamatay.”

Published inMilitaryMindanaoTerrorism

36 Comments

  1. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    dumale na naman si galungong, just tell the truth di mo sila kaya. Hanggang sat-sat ka lang, kung mahirap lang yan na nag titinda ng sigarilyo sa kanto, eh sigurado tumba yan..!!

    puro maliliit lang ang kaya mo..! giant drug lords still on the loose..!

  2. roc roc

    sabi, the govt misread maute threat. silang lahat including lorenzana, bato, anyo, et all, all misread the threat? dyos na mabagin, what kind of people surrounds digong? maybe, they can misread the threat, but for digong to misread the threat as well, despite the fact that the mautes bombed davao . . . someone is being very dumb indeed.

  3. MPRivera MPRivera

    kung walang kooperasyon ang mga local leaders at mismong mga tao, paano na? closely knit ang mga Maranao. sanga sanga ang relation by blood ng mga taga Marawi thru inter-clan marriages at iisa ang kanilang relihiyon.

    inamin naman ng presidente na hindi niya kakayanin mag-isa ang matagal na nating inaasam na pagbabago at kung gusto natin ito ay magtulong tulong tayo bilang isang bansa.

    at, ang pagtutulong tulong natin para sa pagbabagong iyon ay hindi para sa kanya, kundi para sa kinabukasan ng kasalukuyan at mga susunod pang henerasyon gayundin, para sa dangal nating mga Pilipino.

  4. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    EJK for small people, freedom for big people. Pagbabago? Gwarrrrkkkk…!!

  5. MPRivera MPRivera

    pansinin ninyo ang mga dumalo upang makita ang presidente. bakit sobrang kasiyahan para sa kanila ang madalaw ng chief executive? hindi ba’t ibig sabihin lang nito na malaki ang kanilang suporta at tiwala ngayon sa pangulo?

    nasaan ang mga bumabatikos kay digong?

    trillanes, alejano, hontiveros, drilon, aquino, pangilinan at yung pangalawang pangulo, nasaan? nasa amerika na naman at palihim na tumalilis upang makipagsosyalan? upang siraan na naman ang pangulong atat niyang palitan?

    ganito naman tayo, eh. walang pagkakaisa. walang kasiyahan sa pamamahala ng namumuno LALO at kinokontra ng ating iniidolo. pero ano ang ginagawa ng ating iniidolo? bakit hindi makapunta sa marawi? sina trillanes at alejano na dating mga opisyal, bakit hindi nila bisitahin ang kalagayan ng mga dati nilang kasamahan sa serbisyo?

    lahat na lamang ay kasalanan ni digong. lahat na lamang ay isinisisi kay digong. si digong na lamang ang mali. sila na lamang ang tama. pero, ano’ng hakbang ang kanilang ginagawa upang ang mga maling nakikita sa pangulo at mga nakapaligid niya ay MAITAMA? may magagawa ba ang talas ng kanilang dila? may maitutulong ba sila sa mga biktima ng karahasan sa marawi kung sa loob lamang ng kanilang de eyrkon na opisina sila mamumulupot?

  6. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    Napansin ko nga… napansin ko ang president mukhang BANGAG..!!

  7. roc roc

    yun nga, si digong ay kauna-unang president tubong mindanao pa yata. he knew all there is to know about mindanao, its people, customs and traditions. and for him to misread fellow mindanaoans whether terrorists or not . . . sobrang yabang kasi, too arrogant and over confident. he lost sight of tiny details, the fine print left unread. the buck stops with him.

  8. roc roc

    help digong as in helping him make more bad decisions? help him snub anymore independence day celebrations? help him make more fake news? and appoint dubious people to top jobs? isn’t he getting enough help from mocha loca et al? digong has all the help he needs in his whole life time and maybe, in the next life too.

    and digong already have martial law to help him. any more help and he’ll be drowning in them.

  9. roc roc

    instead of being greedy for more help given him, digong should be giving out more help to the people of marawi city. be there and seen on ground zero and boost the morale of the citizens. and oversee the help being dish out to ensure all help are beneficial, not detrimental.

  10. Eddie, a tricycle driver/pusher:
    Aarestuhin. Nanlaban. Niratrat.

    Hapilon, ISIS Emir/Abu Sayyaf gang leader:
    Aarestuhin. Nanlaban. Nag-Martial Law.

  11. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    napansin ko nga, masaya ang mga tao, why? because Digong is relasing, as usual, funny but un-necessary rhetoric that it shouldn’t be coming from the mouth of the president himself.

    parang salitang kanto lang na walang mapupulot kahit batang paslit. Truly Un-Statesman..!!

  12. MPRivera MPRivera

    impeach digong para si leni na ang pumalit?

    payag ako.

    at least, magkakaroon na naman kayo ng pagpipistahang kapalpakan. pagpistahan nga kaya?

    sa dami ng mga blunder ng biyuda ni jesse robredo, WALANG LUMABAS kahit isa sa mainstream media. tagong tago.

    nagkakagulo sa marawi, nasaan siya? nasa US at nakipag meet and greet sa mga nasa laylayan sa LA?

    tsk tsk tsk!

  13. MPRivera MPRivera

    MANILA – From the frontlines of battle to the presidential plane.

    President Rodrigo Duterte took nine wounded soldiers with him aboard the presidential plane on the way to Manila after his visit to troops at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City Tuesday night.

    Palace officials said the President himself walked with the soldiers and rode with them on an ambulance on the way to the airport. They then boarded the F-28 presidential aircraft.

    The nine soldiers were among men who fought in Marawi City which has been besieged by terrorists belonging to the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups for nearly a month now…..

    http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/21/17/duterte-takes-soldiers-wounded-in-marawi-on-presidential-flight-to-manila

  14. roc roc

    that’s the price digong has to pay for mis-reading the mautes. and what more in god’s name did he misread as well?

    it’s digong job to help the soldiers, after all, it was his fault that put them in danger and got them injured. doctors and paramedics did a good job of patching up soldiers as well and yet, they dont get to epal and crow about what they’ve done.

    and if digong really care for soldiers and their welfare, he should issue them with kevlar vests. how many of those dead soldiers died because they lack safety equipments? many soldiers on the front line are like sitting ducks, walang kevlar vests. a bullet to the chest and they’re gone. pero, no worries, there’s plenty more of them where they come from. more troops send to marawi city.

    apparently, the hospital in cagayan de oro is full, wounded soldiers have to be transported elsewhere. else, they have to be housed and treated in tents!

  15. roc roc

    incidentally, it’s not only soldiers that got ride in presidential plane. before that, didn’t imee marcos, mocha loca, misuari, and many others got to ride as well? misuari and the tiamzons even got invited to malakanyang palace and given the welcome mat. will the soldiers be feted similarly?

  16. jcj2013 jcj2013

    Matulog-tulog muna daw si Dutae. He deserves a much needed rest, i.e., six feet under the ground. Papagpahingahin niyo na yung tao, kawawa naman.

  17. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    Is this his job..?? to walk with the wounded soldiers.? Galungong talaga, pa Pogi points pa..! His job is to contain the armed rebels, his job is to deciminate the insurgents. The problem is, he don’t even have a technical counter insurgency measures. Instead he declared martial law..!! what a crap..!!

    Puro kasi bunga-nga lang siya…!!! Now Marawi is burning, ngayon nya ipakita ang tapang at galling nya..!!

    Btw, I’m not supporting Leni.

  18. MPRivera MPRivera

    si ngoyngoy ang walang ginawa nu’ng sinabihan siya about the presence of ISIS in mindanao. like drugs, binalewala niya ang paglaganap at pagpaparami ng ISIS ganun din ang pamamayagpag ng abu sayyaf.

    kunsabagay, ano nga ang aasahan sa mga pilipino ngayon? walang pagkakaisa kaya madaling makahikayat at maka brainwash ang mga ideologues tulad ng ISIS upang sumapi sa kanila.

    samahan pa ng katabilan ng dila ni trillanes, sira ang mga diskarte ni digong.

  19. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    I am not supporting Noy-Noy. too..!!

  20. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    This is the reason why the Filipinos voted for Digong, people are frustrated with P-noy, hence Digong won a landslide.

    Now, si Digong na ang may hawak ng timon, oras na para ipakita ang galling nya, gaya ng ipinangako nya. He is now more than a year in Palace,

    Now for Economic Take-off directions, Jobs, Infrastructures, Medical Services, Education, Water, Irrigations, Peace & Order, etc..etc.., may naaninag ba ang Bayan sa mga ito? Extra Judical Killings marami.

    E baka 5 years from now, si P-Noy parin ang dahilan. (I am not in support of P-Noy).

  21. roc roc

    maybe, po, 16 millions pinoys voted for digong dahil they got sold on davao being safest city kuno, therefore, pinas could be safest city under digong. and that digong would solve drug problems in 3 months, susugpuin din po niya ang kriminalidad, solve all traffic problems, at sobrang tapang pang sinabing he’d ride out in a jet ski, confront the chinese and plant flag on the shoal.

  22. roc roc

    at sinabi pang hindi raw elitist si digong, he is for the poor and felt for the poor. he grew up poor kuno, sleeps in a kulambo as well and like anyone else, loves to joke!

  23. roc roc

    sorry, my comment above pinas being safest city . . . should have stated: pinas being safest nation.

  24. jcj2013 jcj2013

    Remember, Duterte promised to stop drugs, crime and corruption in 3 to six months only. Failing in which he would resign immediately. His own words, not mine.

    Bwahahaha!! One year na, lalong lumala at nagka-Martial Law pa sa beloved Mindanao niya!! Na DUTERTE!!!

  25. vic vic

    The “right” way the oppositions do it…

    It is now out in the news that the very Secretive Special Operation Force Sniper on Mission of ‘assisting’ the Iraqi forces fighting the Daesh has Broken the Record for the Longest Confirmed Kill at 3540 meters..and the outgoing Opposition Leader of the New Democrats (aka Socialist Party) wrote the PM to clarify if the JTF 2 and the Air Force mission if its Combat or simply Training the Iraqi Forces…shooting the enemy at 3 and half kilometers can not be considered as not a combat mission…

    The Officer of the JTF 2 can not be identified as NONE of its members can be as well..it is Nameless, faceless or simply Anonymous Elite Anti-Terrorist Special Force..that even the PM sometimes is not aware of its movement, but always operates within the Law..

    No Medal, nor rewards, nor recognition for its Job, simply the honour of serving the Motherland and the Compensation rumoured to be as High as the Members of the Parliament…nobody will Tell..

  26. roc roc

    no, po. hindi yata kaya ng pinas ang ganyang klasening ultra special forces, snipers extraordinaire. sa kasalukuyan, halos lahat na pinakamataas sa kapolisan at military natin ay naging overseas traveling companions ng presidente: downgraded. they go where he goes as part of his 70strong person entourage. and while they were away, palagay ko, the terrorists slipped in. meron yata silang 4 entry points and most of those are in mindanao, sa balwarte ng presidente mismo.

    while the cat is forever traveling overseas, the mice went in for the cheese that is marawi city, medyo left unguarded kasi ang syudad. pero, before hand, mice gave ample warning, but the president being arrogant and over confident and his travel having been booked, his traveling companions all packed and ready, did not heed the warning. contrary po ito to what we have been told and that is to take warning and alerts seriously lalo na yong bomb threats, hoax or not.

    service medals, cell phones, money, the president gives them away to the military like there’s over supply of tomatoes to be given away! and the military laps them all up, makes them wants to fight more, he, he, he. sorry for being cynical, sa tingin ko kasi, prospects for pinas are not good, the president’s lack of foresight is both daunting and terrifying.

    opinions ko lang po ang mga ito, faulty as they are.

  27. Ang mga rebelde sa Marawi para sa akin ay ordinary pirates lang na matatawag. Pero hanggang ngayon, matagal na rin hindi pa mapuksa sila. Hindi pa malupig ng militar ng gobyerno, ano pa kaya kung totoong pirates na o talagang tunay na terorista mula ibang bansa. Local terrorist lang hindi agad matalo. Napaka imposible naman. Anong klaseng taktika ginagawa nila para matalo ang mga ordinary pirates.

  28. vic vic

    roc, there was a story that during the start of the Afghan campaign against the Taliban, the CF sent an advance team of Special Force and drop them somewhere in the desert..they were supposed to source their supplies with the regular unit, but nobody due to “soo much secrecy” told the Afghan Mission Command of the Team. They were left on their own with out food until the US Green Beret spotted them and was on the US news by the embedded reporters..

    PM Chretien was SCREAMING MAD why of all people he was not told that the JTF 2 Team was already landed in Afghnistan..but after talking to his Defence Secretary and the Military Officials, they just keep the Issues among themselves…

    George W Bush rewarded the JTF 2 as a Team the Presidential Reward for their very successful missions in Afghanistan…mosthly capturing the Terrorist and turning over to the US troops..nobody would really Tell much…

    They DID NOT GET ANY RECOGNITION FROM OTTAWA…might as well…THAT IS what Secrecy means.

    Also when some of the Troops images acting as security Details for the Govt OFFICIALS in Africa was “unintentionally” published by the daily news media, the Defence Dept immediately requested the concern media to immediately delete all images…and the Request was complied..

  29. Para sa kaalaman ng lahat. Ang mga tinatawag na terorista sa Marawi ay binibigyan nila ng baril ang ibang hostage. Ganito ang sabihin “kapag hindi kayo nakipagbarilan sa mga militar ay papatayin namin kayo.” Kaya ang mga naging hostage na binigyan ng baril ng mga tinatawag na terorista ang gawin ay makipagbarilan na lang sa mga militar. Ang foreigner o taga ibang bansa na napaslang sa Marawi at may baril malaki ang posibilidad na hindi iyon tinatawag na terorista, binigyan lang iyon ng baril at makipagbarilan sa militar. Parami ng parami ang tinatawag na terorista dahil ultimo mga sibilyan nagiging parang terorista na rin dahil binibigyan sila ng baril para labanan ang gobyerno ni Duterte.

  30. Tinatawag na terorista, iyon ang termino ko imbes na terorista. Dahil ang ginagawa nila sa Marawi para lang maipakita kay Pres. Duterte na hindi sila sang ayon sa pamumuno niya kaya ginagawa nila ang ganun. Ang mga terorista na tunay kagaya ng nasa Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan at iba pa ay ang pinaglalaban nila ay maghasik talaga ng lagim, hindi para kumontra sa gobyerno.

  31. roc roc

    did you get your info from mocha loca? kung ang sibilyan ay binigyan ng baril, what’s stopping them from using the guns against the terrorists? the people in marawi are not as duwag as you think.

  32. roc roc

    vic at 28, the seals that got bin ladin were just as secretive and as deadly. cheers, po.

  33. jcj2013 jcj2013

    Asan na ang commander-in-cheap? Asleep? Palakpakan!!!

  34. roc roc

    aba, missing in action na namam ang presidente, kuno. nuong independence day celebration on june 12, he was missing for 5 days. then, post independence day celebration and after he was sighted briefly in agusan, missing in action na naman siya, 6 days na po! to date, that’s the most number of days he’s been missing. dadaigin yata niya si pakyaw na palaging absent sa trabaho. nag-eermitanyo na yata si digong!

  35. baguneta baguneta

    Mabuti rin iyung may fake news…nalalaman mo sa miyembro ng blog ni Ellen kung sino yung gullible (hook, line and sinker). Kung sino yung OB-OB.

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