Military says Maute group no longer holding hostages

The remaining members of the pro-ISIS Maute group in Marawi City are no longer holding hostages, the military said Sunday.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Joint Task Force Ranao, said in a press briefing that the 20 civilians who were rescued last week are "believed" to have been the last hostages held by the terrorists.

"We believe na wala na pong hostages remaining," Brawner said.

"'Yun na po yung mga na-rescue natin yung mga hostages na 'yon, we believe that because we exhausted all means to rescue the remaining hostages, and 'yun nga po the latest that we rescued was 20," he added.

According to Brawner, the remaining fighters in the city are confined to one building.

He added that some of the terrorists' wives came out with the hostages, though others decided to remain with their husbands in the building and fight it out.

"There are some of them who came out also together with the hostages and they are now being processed. We believe that those who are inside that building, that singular building, have chosen to stay with their husbands," he said.

"May mga babae pa sa building na 'yon, ito ay mga asawa ng mga Maute ISIS, and we believe that they really chose to stay with their husbands," he added.

He said that they have given the Maute members "all the chances to surrender."

"We gave them all the chances to come out together with the hostages and in fact some of them did. May mga lumabas po na mga asawa ng Maute ISIS kasama ng mga hostages," he said.

Brawner said that the alleged wives of Maute members who surrendered will be treated as non-combatants and will also undergo the same process just like other hostages.

"They will be treated as non-combatants so dadaan din sila sa psycho-social debriefing, in fact ang ating mga military at police doctors have given them medical attention," he said.

"Some of [the former hostages] have been flown to Cagayan de Oro to seek medical attention and then some of them are still here. They're right now safe, that is why gusto po naming ipaabot doon sa mga kamag-anak ng mga hostages na huwag po sila magalala dahil safe yung mga kamag-anak nila," he added.

Brawner also assured that hostages are safe and were able to contact their relatives.

"Yung iba po sa kanila nakausap na yung mga kamag-anak nila because they were given cellphones, they were given the chance to call their relatives para ma-inform nila na safe sila," he said.

"May mga pictures na rin po kaming hawak dito that would show that the hostages are safe, we have videos. But we cannot yet show this to the public because as per request by the hostages themselves, they want to protect their identities, they want to you know, some of them fear for their lives kasi nga po baka balikan daw po sila," he added.

As of October 22, 2017, a total of 919 Maute members were killed while 864 firearms were recovered from them.

Meanwhile, government troops have rescued 1,780 hostages while the number of soldiers and police killed in action is still at 165.

President Rodrigo Duterte on October 17 said that Marawi City has been freed from the Maute group after five months of fighting.

Western Mindanao Command Lieutenant General Ernesto Galvez Jr. earlier said that government forces will try to put an end to the ongoing clashes by Sunday, October 22. — Marlly Rome Bondoc/BM, GMA News