Marawi gets rehabilitation augmentation

The Philippine Army yesterday sent additional troops to Marawi City to assist in the ongoing rehabilitation efforts and to thwart any attempt by the Maute-ISIS group to recruit fighters in the area.

Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva, Army spokesman, said that 105 members of the 12th Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion and 25 Hijab Troopers flew to Marawi City yesterday after simple sendoff ceremony at Villamor Air Base.

Villanueva said that the 12th CMO Battalion and the Hijab Troopers will be placed under operational control of the Joint Task Force Ranao to assist in the rehabilitation of Marawi City.

The 12th CMO Battalion, which specialized in the conduct of civil affairs work and information support, will provide assistance to JTF Ranao for the establishment of safe and secured environment to give way for the Recovery, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation (RRR) effort to be undertaken by Task Force Bangon Marawi.

On the other hand, the Hijab Troopers, composed mainly of female personnel, will support the local government unit and other concerned agencies in facilitating the needs and requirements of internally displaced persons (IDPs), conduct peace education and psycho social intervention in support of JTG Ranao’s civil military operations.