Summary
Highlights
In May 2017, local terror groups, pledging allegiance to ISIS, attempted to establish a Caliphate in Marawi City, Philippines. This led President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao. The conflict began when the military attempted to apprehend Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon in Basalt Malulu. Hapilon, along with young radicals like the Maute brothers, escaped, leading to a widespread attack on Marawi.
Following Hapilon's escape, armed Marawi residents, waving ISIS flags, attacked key locations in the city. They occupied a medical center, harassed military headquarters, surrounded city hall, released prisoners, burned down a college and a Catholic parish, and took hostages, including Father Teresito Suganob. Bishop Edwin dela Peña received demands from the militants regarding Father Suganob.
On the first night of the siege, First Lieutenant Geraldo Alvarez led a team of 19 men in two armored vehicles to rescue a wounded officer and bring reinforcements. They encountered heavy enemy fire at Baloi Bridge, revealing the limitations of their armored vehicles against rocket-propelled grenades. Alvarez's team faced numerous challenges, including running out of bullets and losing men to enemy snipers, eventually being rescued on the fifth day after several failed attempts.
Marawi residents, initially confused by the escalating violence, quickly realized it was more than a typical clan war. Many civilians, including Anissa Mahumot, braved the crossfire to escape, with some becoming heroes by rescuing others. Amidst the violence, Muslims like Noraida Ambor and her family demonstrated defiance against radicalism by protecting their Christian neighbors, highlighting interfaith solidarity against the terrorists.
A recovered video showed Hapilon and the Maute brothers planning the attack with Malaysian militant Mahmud, confirming foreign fighter involvement. Despite intelligence reports, the military underestimated the enemy's capabilities. The conflict became urban warfare, forcing troops, accustomed to jungle fighting, to adapt to new tactics, such as sniper positions in tall buildings. The Philippine military, with aid from allies like Australia and China, engaged in its biggest and bloodiest operation since World War II.
Both military and enemy forces adapted their tactics. The militants used mosques as hiding places and developed tunnel systems to move between buildings, posing challenges for the military's airstrikes due to religious sensitivities. As troops advanced, a new threat emerged: improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The battle area became a minefield, forcing soldiers to move cautiously to avoid both snipers and hidden bombs, leading to an increase in casualties.
The conflict in Marawi had deeper roots, connected to the Maute brothers' operations in Butig, a town historically hosting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The Maute brothers, whose father was a former MILF member, rejected the peace process and allied with ISIS, seeking to establish their own territory. Delays in the government's implementation of the Bangsamoro Basic Law eroded the MILF's influence, creating a vacuum that the Maute group exploited.
Inside the battle zone, hostages like Lordvin Acopio were forced to tend to wounded militants. They learned to live with their captors, even learning Muslim prayers, while secretly planning their escape. Loyd and other hostages like Father Suganob were eventually rescued. On October 16, 2017, Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed in a final assault led by Colonel Romeo Brawner Jr., effectively ending their reign of terror.
The end of the 153-day war left Marawi in ruins, with widespread destruction and human remains among the debris. The crisis highlighted an urgent need to address the root causes of the conflict. Beyond rebuilding homes and burying the dead, there remain critical issues to resolve to prevent another Marawi from happening again in the Philippines or elsewhere.