Despite his stance for the government not to participate in the fifth round of formal talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has recognized the offer of the communists to fight against terrorism as a sign of goodwill.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Maute group had planned their siege in Marawi very well, saying that the terrorists chose the commercial heart of the city in order to sustain themselves from the goods ransacked from the establishments in the area.
An analyst said the attack in Marawi City is a form of a proxy war that the US is staging against President Rodrigo Duterte, whose pivot now leans towards what he called “a Eurasian alliance with China and Russia.”
Compostela Valley police arrested 13 striking workers of Korean-owned banana plantation Shin Sun Tropical Fruits Corporation, reportedly including one minor on Friday
Defense Secretary and Martial Law administrator Delfin Lorenzana said the army will be relying more on troops and armored vehicles to deal with the remaining Maute rebels in Marawi.