AFP admits failings in Marawi roadside blast

From Malaya Business Insight (Dec 2): AFP admits failings in Marawi roadside blast

THE military yesterday said it received information about a potential attack by the lawless Maute group against soldiers prior to last Tuesday’s roadside bombing in Marawi City.

Because of the information, soldiers were deployed to avert the planned bombing but they could just not guard all places, thus the blast, said AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla.

“Unless you put an element or an individual to guard every inch of the roadside, then this could not have happened,” he said.

“I must tell you that the battle space is a very big area, guarding every inch of it is going to be a hard task, and I would go back to the adage of looking for a needle in a haystack, if I may so, if you scour the whole area,” he also said.

The explosion wounded two infantry soldiers and seven members of the Presidential Security Group who were part of President Duterte’s advance party. The explosion hit the lead vehicle of the convoy of PSG personnel.

“Amin pong tinatanggap na nasingitan po tayo sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaroon ng IED (improvised explosive device) explosion na yun,” Padilla said.

The police said Wednesday it was not an IED that hit one of the trucks in the convoy but a rifle grenade fired from houses along the highway. The military insisted it was an IED. But the police and the military agreed that the Maute group behind the attack.

Padilla sought to dismiss allegations by a youth group that no explosion happened.

Drieza Lininding, vice chair of the Bangsamoro National Movement for Peace and Development, said residents told him that one of the soldiers actually fired an M203 grenade launcher while passing the road in Marawi City.

Padilla said, “Nakakasigurado kami na gusto lang po nilang umiwas na maakusahan na ang kanilang maaring sinusuportahang grupo na mga Maute ay hindi involved ditto.”

“Sila po ang numero unong nakikita naming may kagagawan nito. Ito (IED) po ay tinabi sa daan. Naniniwala kami na maaring na-trigger ng isang tawag sa telepono,” he added.

Padilla said the Maute had planned to stage bombings to prevent the military from sending reinforcements to the nearby town of Butig in Lanao del Sur, where troops were then trying to dislodge Maute members who occupied an old and abandoned town hall. Troops took control of the building last Wednesday.

Padilla said military commanders declared the area “100 percent cleared” on Wednesday night.

The Maute members occupied the building last Saturday morning. Soldiers were sent to area to dislodge the group, leading to skirmishes.

Padilla said the fighting has left 61 Maute men dead members of the Maute Group dead and 12 others were wounded. Meanwhile, 35 soldiers were wounded in the conflict, including the seven PSG men and two infantry soldiers.

Padilla said government troops were not able to recover enemy bodies in the area, noting the Maute buries its dead in 24 hours, in keeping with the Muslim tradition.

“We have various means of confirming the deaths on the enemy. Most of them are hum-int (human intelligence) and what have you...Those numbers that were give you have confirmation from various,” he said, adding the military has names of some of the slain Maute members.

Prior to the occupation of the building, military estimates placed the strength of the Maute at around 200 men, which means the group now has just about 140 men.

Asked if the smaller Maute is still a significant force, Padilla said, “Anyone with a firearm in possession is a threat to the community.”

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/afp-admits-failings-marawi-roadside-blast