Honasan to AFP: Stop setting ‘unrealistic deadlines’ in ridding Marawi of Maute bandits

Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II on Thursday said government forces should refrain from setting "unrealistic deadlines" on when they expect to flush out the last of the ISIS-inspired Maute holdouts from Marawi City.

"The military and police are not supposed to spend too much time explaining policy to media. Let the political leadership explain to the citizenry, what's happening. Baka hindi magtagal pati yung platoon or yung squad may spokesman," Honasan said in a media forum held in San Juan City.

Currently, official updates on the Marawi conflict come from a number of defense officials including Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, and Task Force Marawi spokesperson Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera. 

Lorenzana earlier said that he and other military officials expected the conflict in Marawi City to end before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.

However, Padilla refused to set a deadline on when the government can stamp out insurgency in the strife-torn city.

"We are not setting any deadline and I have been citing why... because of the complexity of the environment, 'yung combat environment at saka 'yung terrain. But that is also about the same time when the period for martial law would end so that's why we are doing our best to finish this ano, to liberate Marawi the soonest time possible," Padilla said.

Meanwhile, Honasan emphasized that setting deadlines would be impractical since a number of variables have to be considered first.

"Hindi praktikal. We set deadlines at the start diba. So napakahirap dahil ang daming variables, may economic, yung kabuhayan na nadisrupt, yung dislocation, yung political variables, ideological," Honasan told reporters.

"Ang military sa akin dapat...they report. We are gaining ground...30 percent, 50 percent, 90 percent of the barangays in Marawi have been cleared period. Tapos siguro ito, appeal sa media, iwasan natin na kukunan ng footage na yung tropa na papalit na sa ospital o sa munisipyo. Dahil hindi naman natin nakukunan ng footage ang Maute. So sila nadadagdagan ang kaalaman, nalalagasan tayo. So 'wag nating bigyan ng unwarranted advantage yung kino-condemn nating terorista," he added.

He, however, remained hopeful that the Marawi crisis will soon come to an end.

"Naniniwala ako na palabas na sila, maki-clear na 'yan physically. But ang pinakaimportanteng parte is 'yung refugees. How many thousands, more than 200,000 diba and displaced. Paano mo ire-restore ang kabuhayan non," he said. — MDM/KVD, GMA News