The Philippine Army (PA) is gearing up towards the commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the liberation of Marawi City following a five-month siege by ISIS-inspired Maute Group and ISIS-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in 2017.
“The Philippine Army commemorates the fifth anniversary of the liberation of Marawi City to honor the heroism and valor of soldiers and law enforcers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in liberating Marawi City nearly half a decade ago through a series of events at the Headquarters, Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila,” the PA said on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said one of the highlights of the commemoration is the wreath-laying ceremony at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City at 6:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 17.
The wreath-laying will take place at the Marawi Pylon, a memorial monument built to honor the lives of 168 soldiers and policemen who died in the Marawi siege, the longest urban warfare in the country’s modern history.
Meanwhile, an exhibit was scheduled from Oct. 15 to 16 at the PA Officer’s Clubhouse Pavilion also in Fort Bonifacio.
The exhibit will feature memorabilia or items recovered by the troops on the encounter sites after the war had ended.
The Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Lanao del Norte-based 55th Engineer Brigade, Army Artillery Regiment, Armor Division, Light Reaction Regiment, the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), and the First Scout Ranger Regiment also set up booths at the Hunters ROTC Parade Grounds that highlight their crucial role in the liberation of Marawi City.
The five-month-long Marawi campaign will also be showcased as one of the Army’s greatest heritage at the PA Museum.
A fellowship dinner that will gather officers and men who helped liberate Marawi will cap the series of events on the evening of October 25.
"The series of events will immortalize the sacrifices of soldiers and law enforcers in the liberation of Marawi City, and at same time highlight the city’s journey for peace, development, and rehabilitation," said Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., PA Commanding General.
Marawi siege occurred on May 23, 2017 after a botched plan to capture ASG leader and ISIS Southeast Asia emir (ruler) Isnilon Hapilon when he was monitored in Marawi City.
The failed plan, however, uncovered ASG’s collaboration with the Maute Group, a homegrown radical Islamist group led by brothers Omarkhayam Maute and Abdullah Maute, to establish ISIS’ Southeast Asia caliphate (Islamic state) in Mindanao.
The troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce battle for five months until the ASG and Maute Group leaders were killed. The Marawi City was declared liberated from the terrorists’ influence on Oct. 17, 2017 and six days later, the war had been concluded.
The Marawi siege claimed the lives of about 1,200 individuals, including over 900 militants.