Abstract
The 2017 Marawi war between Philippine government troops and ISIL-linked terrorists depicted a new configuration of military heroism that admits humanitarian and civilian protection elements. Examining army-produced publications and interview data of field commanders, the institutional discourse depicts plural versions of heroism that recognize and place value on humanitarian tasks independent of combat goals. The discourse emphasizes the role of female civil-military operatives at evacuation center and checkpoints, and units engaged in civilian rescue operations. The Philippine military reaped tremendous institutional gains from this heroism recalibration, enabling higher public approval and private sector support. The discourse also portrays enduring strains in the military’s legitimacy seeking enterprise vis-a-vis the Muslim minority population, which remain critical of the government’s commitment for rehabilitation.
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Notes
- 1.
The materials from the Philippine Army Operations Research Center are: Marawi and Beyond: The JTF Marawi Story, Leading from the Heart, Effective Public Information Strategies, Serving the Community in Times of Crisis, Honoring the Sacrifices, Breaking Extremist Narratives, Brave Hearts Endure: Untold Stories of the 10th Infantry Battalion. The publications are available online https://www.army.mil.ph/orc-home/. The commanders interviewed were: Col Romeo Brawner Jr. (Deputy Commander, Joint Task Group Ranao), LTC Jo-ar Herrera (Commander, First Infantry Division-Civil Military Operations Coordination Center), BGEN Thomas Sedano (Commander, Joint Task Group Tabang), Col Jose Maria Cuerpo (Deputy Commander, Joint Task Group Haribon), Col Monico Batle (Commander, Joint Task Group Lawa), LTGEN Danilo Pamonag (Commander, Joint Task group Trident), MGEN Rene Glenn Paje (Commander, Joint Task Group Musang), BGEN Felicisimo Budiungan (Commander, Joint Task Group Bakal). Additional information were provided by LTC Joana Dalaguit (Chief, 4th Infantry Division. Military Hospital) and Col Rudem Aquino (Commander, 61 Infantry Battalion).
- 2.
Two books were written by journalists about the Marawi War containing detailed accounts and insider view of the campaign. See Fonbuena, Carmela. 2020. Marawi Siege: Stories from the Front Line. Pasig City: Journalism for Nation Building Foundation; see also Yabes, Criselda. 2020. The Battle of Marawi. Davao City: Pawikan Press.
- 3.
See. Rappler. Documentary Marawi 153 days of War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whi0UE2JefY. See also GMA Public Affairs. Brigada (The Brigade): Combat Camera Team/Full Episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R94MV6A5KoY.
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Hall, R.A., Dumpit, D.Z. (2024). Legitimate Use of Violence? Interrogating the Hero-Soldier of the Marawi War in the Philippines. In: Ben-Shalom, U., Moelker, R., Stern, N., Ben-Ari, E. (eds) Military Heroism in a Post-Heroic Era. The Military and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51556-9_13
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