Amid the sound of gun and artillery fire, Duterte met with soldiers and police officers in a military camp during the unannounced trip to the besieged southern city, said lieutenant colonel Jo-ar Herrera, a military spokesman.
“This trip really boosted the fighting spirit and morale of the forces,” he told Manila radio station DZMM. “Morale is very high right now. We are all very happy with the visit.
“It was like a father visiting his sons and daughters to lift the troops’ morale in the fight,” he added.
Nearly 100 government forces have been killed in the conflict, which has also left 421 militants dead. Forty-five civilians have been executed by the terrorists while 40 displaced residents have died from illness.
Duterte, who arrived at the camp by helicopter and wore military fatigues, distributed care packages to the troops and inspected thousands of weapons seized from the militants, according to Herrera.
Military chief of staff General Eduardo Ano said the trip was “very successful and memorable” for the troops, but it “was not easy.”
“Just a minute before the choppers landed, there were a few sniper shots coming from unknown direction that targeted the landing zone area,” he said.
The crisis in Marawi City began on May 23 when an estimated 600 militants went on a rampage after government forces attempted to arrest a local leader of the Islamic State terrorist organisation.
Duterte declared a 60-day martial law in the southern region of Mindanao as a result of the siege and has asked Congress to extend the decree until December 31 to allow troops to completely crush the threats posed by Islamic State.
Congress is scheduled to hold a special session tomorrow to deliberate on Duterte’s request.
The fighting has left Marawi City in ruins, with thousands of houses and buildings destroyed by fires set off by the militants or heavy artillery fire, and military airstrikes.
More than 438,000 residents have been displaced from Marawi City and nearby towns due to the conflict, and an estimated 300 civilians are either trapped in the fighting zone or being held hostage by the militants, officials said.
In his letter to Congress asking for the extension of martial rule in Mindanao, Duterte said the leadership of the militants in Marawi City
“remains intact despite the considerable decline in the number of rebels fighting in the main battle area.”
“Key leaders of the rebellion... remain at large,” he added, including Isnilon Hapilon, the alleged head of the Islamic State in the Philippines, and Malaysian militant Mahmud bin Ahmad, suspected financer of the group.
The military earlier reported that there was “strong indication” that Mahmud and another leader of the militants, Omar Maute, were killed in the fighting.
But Duterte said it was another Maute brother, Mohamed, who has been killed.
