Duterte makes a stop near Marawi’s ground zero in 3rd visit

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday inspected an area near ground zero of the firefight between the government forces and ISIS-inspired Maute group in Marawi City.

According to Malacañang, the President talked to the soldiers guarding the buildings retaken from the Maute.

He was joined by National Security Adviser Sec. Hermogenes Esperon, AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año, and Special Assistant to the President Sec. Christopher “Bong” Go.

Duterte also visited a temporary patrol base, checked out a sniper rifle, and fired twice towards the direction of the terrorists.

Here are more photos of Pres. Duterte's visit in Marawi earlier. Malacañang yet to provide details on the visit ????: Palace pic.twitter.com/OskVOdqSFz

— Trisha Macas (@trishamacas) August 24, 2017

The President then talked to over a hundred soldiers and distributed financial assistance, food packs, and watches.

“We have to end it the way it should be at ang earlier kong pronouncement: We will not stop until the last terrorist is neutralize. Iyon ang sinabi ko and that will be the objective the ultimate objective of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but once maano ito we will make sure that we will look for the money to rehabilitate Marawi but at the same,” he was quoted as saying in a press release from Malacañang. — BAP, GMA News