President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday clarified that the vicar general of Marawi City, Fr. Teresito “Chito” Soganub, who was held captive for more than a hundred days, was rescued by the armed forces of the Philippines and not released through back door negotiations.
Duterte said it was very impossible that backchannel talks happened because according to him he will not even agree to look at the Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorists.
Duterte detailed that the Maute group did not release Father Soganub but that “he was liberated through a special operation which means that the Special Forces of the Rangers crawled to get him.”
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 09/ 19 / 17)