MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has reorganized Task Force Bangon Marawi, shifting its focus from defending Marawi City to recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation. The secretary of the Department of National Defense, who previously served as task force chairman, together with the secretary of public works will serve as co-vice chairpersons. He declared Marawi, the country’s prime Islamic city, as freed from the terrorist Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups last Oct. 17. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1More than 200,000 people have been displaced and at least 1,000 were killed after the terrorists seized Marawi on May 23. Upon his arrival at the Davao International Airport on Tuesday night from his official trip in Japan, Duterte said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana should be the one to oversee all the rehabilitation efforts.

Source: Philippine Star November 02, 2017 16:41 UTC