Get ready Hong Kong, the soldiers who defeated Islamic insurgents in Marawi are on their way soon — for a holiday.
The troops, who this week ended the five-month battle for the southern Philippine city, are getting an all-expenses-paid trip to the city for some much needed R&R.
The trip was promised in August by President of the Philippines Rodrigo, who told the frontline soldiers they’d get “many surprises” if they stayed alive, including a free visit to Hong Kong.
Following Monday’s announcement that combat operations had finished, the country’s Communications Secretary Martin Andanar today told Philippine radio station DZMM today that the pledge would be honored.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Restituto Padilla told the same radio station that the trip would not be funded by taxpayers, but “through private donations and an airline that agreed to give the soldiers free tickets.”
No word yet on their travel budgets, though perhaps a pay bump announced earlier this year may help the troops cope with Hong Kong prices.
And after months of grueling street battles with Islamic insurgents, the soldiers surely won’t mind battling their way through overcrowded streets, shops and nightspots so much.
They may even enjoy reaching high ground for no strategic purpose whatsoever on one of Hong Kong’s many country trails.
Whatever they choose to do, they’ve earned some time off. Fighting has left more than 1,000 people dead since the Islamic State-aligned militants, known locally as coming from the Maute group, launched the siege of Marawi on May 23.
The ensuing US-backed military campaign to evict them displaced 400,000 residents and laid ruin to large parts of the city.
The Hong Kong trip, however, won’t include hundreds of Philippine National Police’s (PNP) elite Special Action Force unit who fought alongside the soldiers .
According to a report in the Manila Bulletin, their boss, PNP chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, said they will be going on a special trip to Tagaytay with him instead to “eat bulalo”, a popular beef shank and bone marrow stew.
