The scheduled visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to the government troops fighting members of the Maute group linked to Islamic State (ISIS) here was cancelled Thursday afternoon.
With the capture of leading personalities in the Maute Group, Eastern Mindanao Command Deputy Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said there will be more arrests as the army turns more "aggressive and proactive" in hunting those wanted by the government in relation to the Marawi siege.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology found a woman inmate Thursday morning just outside the comfort room of the Bureau of Fire Protection located at the Marawi Provincial Capitol.
Army spokesperson Capt. Rhyan Batchar said the government's anti-insurgency campaign against the New People's Army remains unabated despite the ongoing Marawi seige.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines has instructed the Moro Revolutionary Liberation Organization (MRLO) inside Marawi to defend their communities against local terrorist groups, Maute and Abu Sayyaf.