Senate adopts reso honoring soldiers for defending, maintaining peace in Marawi

The Senate adopted today a resolution honoring the bravery, sacrifice and heroism of the men and women in uniform who defended and maintained peace and order in Marawi City.

Senator Resolution 746 was introduced by Senator Richard Gordon and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The resolution said that it was only fitting to remember the brave soldiers for their heroic task that prevented the takeover by hostile forces in Marawi City.

On May 23, 2017, members of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group clashed with government forces and raised a black flag with an ISIS logo in front of the Amai Pakpak Hospital in Marawi City.

The Marawi incident prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire Mindanao under martail law through Proclamation No. 216.

The battle, according to the resolution, was a peculiar one because it was the first urban warfare fought in the country. It involved the setting up of a combined security force from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard under the Command of Joint Task Force.

About 39 civilians were killed in the battle while about 1,733 civilians were rescued by the soldiers.

"Terrorism knows no boundaries as it can thrive anywhere across the globe. The Marawi crisis tested the capabilities and willpower of army leaders and personnel and set a new trajectory of how the army will overcome terrorism in the Philippines," the resolution said.

"The supreme sacrifice of our fallen soldiers and police officers in order to fulfill their duty to defend and protect the country from terrorists should not be forgotten and deserves the highest commendation," the resolution said.