Defense chief confident on swift resolution of Marawi crisis

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 2): Defense chief confident on swift resolution of Marawi crisis

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed confidence that government forces will be able to accomplish its mission in going after elements of the local terror group Maute which has laid siege to Marawi City. \

In a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday, Lorenzana said the military will be relying more on ground armor and troops and less on air support in the next few days.

“Well, sa tingin ko naman because there’s only a small pocket there, one strong pocket of resistance, and if we can converge our troops there, the more we do not need the air strikes if there are troops surrounding the area already, then the more we do not need the strikes,” Lorenzana said.

“Maybe we will need the armored vehicles. We have just delivered 21 armored vehicles to Marawi. They were there… They arrived there yesterday and they will be there, all of them today and they will be used --- all of them will be used against the Mautes and the ISIS,” he explained.

“It’s just Thursday. We still have more than one day so I’m sure the troops will do the best they can to accomplish the deadline,” he added.

In the same briefing, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella assured that President Rodrigo Duterte will be guided solely by the Constitution in the implementation of martial law in Mindanao following the Marawi City incident.

Abella stressed the administration’s commitment to uphold the charter and honor its safeguards for the general public’s welfare in going after terror groups.

“It's really the Constitution. Basically the north star of all our policies is the Constitution,” Abella said.

Meanwhile, Abella cited favorable findings for the Philippine economy by the Dutch multinational banking and finance services corporation ING Bank and New York-based Moody’s Investors Service despite the Marawi crisis.

“We are pleased [with the announcement of] Dutch multinational banking and [financial] services corporation ING Bank that the financial markets can weather the political impact of martial law in Mindanao,” Abella said.

“As we have said, the macroeconomic fundamentals of the country remain solid. Our finance officials have repeatedly assured us the fiscal position of the Philippines is strong and well-managed and we have ample buffers to withstand the current rebellion in [Marawi],” he said.

The Palace official likewise noted that Moody’s retained the 6.5 percent GDP forecast for 2017.

“Unlikely that recent developments in Mindanao will lead to changes in economic and fiscal policies which continually anchored by the well-articulated 10-point socio-economic agenda,” he said.

Abella also announced that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 3000-million loan to help the Philippines boost its youth employment.

“International developmental financial institution, ADB has approved the policy-based loan amounting to USD 300 million to give assistance to the first phase of the Department of Labor and Employment’s Facilitating Youth School-to-Work Transition Program,” he said.

“This is to give the Filipino youth preparation and assistance in finding quality employment,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/992739