The Philippine Army (PA) spearheaded the commemoration of the fifth year anniversary of the liberation of Marawi City from the clutches of ISIS-inspired Maute Group on Monday, Oct. 17.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Marawi Pylon in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig City to honor the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend and protect Marawi City from the terrorists that laid siege on it.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. served as the guest of honor and speaker during the activity where he remembered the final moments of the longest urban warfare in the country’s modern history.

“I will never forget this day. Five years ago, we liberated the Marawi City from the clutches of terrorist groups which held it hostage for five long months,” said Galvez, who was the commander of the Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM) during the Marawi siege, the military unit directly involved in the operations against the Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Various exhibits at the PA Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City were also mounted by the military units that participated in the Marawi siege, while documentaries about the five-month long battle were on display at the PA Officers' Club House.

In Marawi City, a separate wreath-laying ceremony was held in Camp Ranao where Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said that the commemoration was important to recognize the efforts of the government to rebuild the war-torn city.

“Remembering the five-month long Marawi siege does not entail reliving the horrors of the past. Rather, it aims to reflect on the collective efforts, resiliency of the government, the Maranaos, and the stakeholders towards the rehabilitation of the city,” Bacarro said in his prepared speech that was delivered by his representative, Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, acting commander of the WESMINCON.

Bacarro, in his speech, paid tribute to government forces who bravely fought against the terrorists, saying their heroic acts were the actual representation of some of the most iconic lines from the Philippine national anthem “Lupang Hinirang.”

“I extend my utmost respect to our uniformed and non-uniformed heroes for their sincere dedication to keep watch and guard the gates of Marawi against the resurgence of terrorism and armed violence,” Bacarro said.

“Habang sabay sabay nating inaawit ang kataga ng ating pambansang awit, ‘Lupang Hinirang duyan ka ng magiting, sa manlulupig ‘di ka pasisiil,' ating alalahanin at ating bigyang-pugay ang kadakilaan ng lahat ng Pilipinong buong tapang na lumaban hanggang sa huli upang mabawi ang kapayapaan ng Marawi (As we sing altogether the lines from our national anthem, ‘Land dear and holy, cradle of noble heroes, never shall invaders trample thy sacred shore,’ let us remember and pay tribute to the heorism of all Filipinos who bravely fought until the end to bring back the peace in Marawi),” he noted.

The AFP chief urged all soldiers to continue keeping watch and ensuring the security in Marawi so as to avoid a repeat of the siege.

“Patuloy tayong lumaban sa ngalan ng kapayapaan at kaunlaran para sa ating pamilya, kapwa Pilipino at sa mahal nating Pilipinas (Let us continue fighting in the name of peace and prosperity for our family, fellow Filipinos, and beloved Philippines),” Bacarro said.

“Sa ating pagbigkas ng mga huling linya ng Lupang Hinirang, ‘Aming ligaya na ‘pag may mang-aapi, ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo,’ patuloy nating pagtibayin ang pagiging makabayan, maka-Diyos, at makatao upang sama-sama nating ipagtanggol ang ating bayan laban sa anumang banta sa ating seguridad (As we utter the last lines of Lupang Hinirang, ‘But it is glory ever, when thou art wronged, for us, thy sons to suffer and die,’ let us fortify our being patriotic, Godly, and humane so we can altogether defend our country against any form of threat on our security),” he concluded.

Marawi City was liberated on Oct. 17, 2017 after five months of urban battle against the Maute Group, a homegrown radical Islamist group led by brothers Omarkhayam Maute and Abdullah Maute.

The Marawi siege started on May 23, 2017 after a botched plan by the military to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and emir (ruler) of ISIS in Southeast Asia.

Despite the failed plan, the military was able to uncover a plot revealing the collaboration between the Maute Group and ASG to establish a caliphate of ISIS in Southeast Asia in Mindanao, leading to a five-month conflict that concluded when the leaders of the terrorist groups were killed by government forces.