Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana assured that the remaining Maute terrorist members in Marawi City who want to surrender will not be killed.

Reiterating his earlier pronouncement that the Marawi conflict may end by Sunday, Lorenzana revealed that terrorists in the city offered to surrender.

“Now there was this offer to surrender by these Maute. It was told to me by (Lanao del Sur) Congressman (Maunag) Papandayan yesterday during the Marawi briefing of the (House) Muslim affairs committee,” he said.

“I said, in fact the Wesmincom (Western Mindanao Command) troops in Marawi have ( been saying through) bullhorn every day: 'If you want to surrender just come out with your hands up in the air'. So I told him anytime they want to surrender, they can get out. They will not be killed,” Lorenzana added

Lorenzana noted the terrorists only requested for their safety when they surrender to the authorities.

“Their only request is that they would not be killed. Of course, we will not kill people who are surrendering. Our soldiers are not murderers," he said.

"We will take them in and we will just let the court to punish them on whatever case that we will file against them, but they will not be killed if they surrender,” Lorenzana added. Robina Asido/DMS