President Duterte apologizes for martial law, promises to rebuild as terrorists are down to a few neighborhoods

Military continutes to burn out the terrorists.

President Duterte has apologized for declaring martial law in the city of Marawi, and he has vowed to rebuild after driving out ISIS-linked rebels.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- President Duterte has vowed to rebuild Marawi. The city has been destroyed in clashes between ISIS-linked rebels and the Philippine military.

Marawi is on the island of Mindano, and was previously home to at least 200,000 people. Today it is abandoned as a battleground where ISIS-linked terrorists from the Abu-Sayyaf group fight for survival against the Philippine military. Several Islamic groups have allied themselves with ISIS and are now in open rebellion against the government. Their goal is to impose a sharia state on the people of Mindanao.

The Philippines, which is largely Catholic, guarantees religious freedom. That freedom would be eliminated if Abu Sayyaf or another ISIS-linked group wins. The Philippine military is fighting to save both Muslims and Christians from the predation of Islamic terrorists.

That salvation comes at a price, one that the terrorists are determined to extract. Using every weapon available, the terrorists have dug into parts of Marawi and refuse to surrender. Now the military must burn them out, house by house.

The terrorists still hold about four neighborhoods in the heart of the city. About 250 terrorists have been killed so far. About 60 soldiers have been killed along with another 350 wounded.

The United States is also providing some support to the Philippine operation, although the level of support is unknown.

Most of the destruction has been caused by government forces which cannot afford to storm each structure, and fight room-by-room. Such tactics favor the rebels and cause tremendous casualties. Instead, the military is pinning the terrorists in their structures, then bombarding them until the structures collapse, crushing and entombing the terrorists.

The buildings can be rebuilt. The lives of the soldiers can never be replaced.

The imposition of martial law in the city will allow the military to restore and oversee order. It will prevent civilians from coming into harm's way and prevent the terrorists from being resupplied and reinforced.

President Duterte has promised to rebuild the city, and he is a man of his word.

The terrorists are running out of time to surrender, and their days are numbered around the world. People of all faiths are called to pray for peace in the Philippines, and to support all efforts to defend religious freedom around the world.