Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Ronald Dela Rosa reports that at this time, armed groups like the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have not extended any concrete help for government forces that are in combat against the Maute group in Marawi City.
Dela Rosa notes that until now, the support from these armed groups remains in the form of lip service.
The police chief says, government is open to the backing of the MNLF, MILF and even the New Peoples’ Army in fighting the terrorists in Mindanao.
Dela Rosa is in Marawi City and he told law enforcers that they must regain control of the city.
On September, 2013, the MNLF staged the Zamboanga siege that killed 15 soldiers, 5 policemen and 12 civilians.
On January 25, 2015, forty four police commandos from the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) and 4 civilians were reportedly killed by the MILF as the cops engaged in a botched counter-terrorism operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
