PH Army Chief Briefs Filipinos in Moscow on the Liberation of Marawi
Lieutenant General Rolando Joselito Bautista, Commanding General of the Philippine Army briefs the Filipino community in Moscow on the liberation of Marawi at the Philippine Embassy on 25 August 2018. (C. Narvaez photo)
MOSCOW 18 October 2018 – Philippine Army Commanding General Lieutenant (Lt. Gen.) General Rolando Joselito Bautista briefed the Filipino community in Moscow on the liberation of Marawi on 25 August 2018 at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow as part of its yearlong “Kapihan sa Pasuguan” project.
As Commander of the Joint Task Force Marawi, Lt. Gen. Bautista successfully led the five-month military operation against the Daesh-inspired Maute terrorists–one of the most successful campaigns of the Armed Forces. It resulted in the neutralization of all terrorist leaders in the main battle area, including Isnilon Hapilon and all Maute brothers, recovery of about 900 high-powered firearms, and rescue of all hostages.
Lt. Gen. Bautista thanked the Filipino community for their all-out support to the troops. In his talk, he also highlighted some key factors that contributed to the Marawi victory. These included the government’s success in countering extremist narratives through information dominance as well as the decisive leadership at all levels in the chain of command.
He also noted that martial law proved to be very helpful. Government security forces won the hearts of the locals by ensuring zero human rights violation and putting the safety and security of civilian hostages as a top priority. Lastly, there was strong support from the populace within the country and abroad.
Lt. Gen. Bautista was in Moscow for the International Military and Technical Forum held in Moscow on 21 to 26 August 2018.
“His participation in the International Military and Technical Forum in Moscow is another positive forward for deeper security cooperation between the Philippines and Russia, including in the area of countering terrorism,” Ambassador Carlos D. Sorreta stated.
“We are grateful to our brave men and women in uniform for keeping our country free and secure. We salute Lt. Gen. Bautista for his exemplary service and thank him for sharing with us his first-hand account on how we triumphed over terrorism in Marawi with valiance and patriotism,” Ambassador Sorreta added.
A member of the Filipino community also stated: "It's a great honor for us to have Lt. Gen. Bautista. We are very grateful for our soldiers in their heroism displayed in Marawi. "
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