The military still has to verify reports of the death of five members of the Maute-ISIS group as soldiers continue with operations against the terrorist group in Lanao del Sur.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the cancellation of peace talks was not to give way to ongoing military operations as alleged by the communist rebels.
For the Armed Forces, "battle readiness" goes beyond additional training and better equipment. It has found a new way to boost morale for its frontline troops.
The Armed Forces handed out close to 28-million peso reward money to its informants. The huge amount of tax payers money given to anonymous people raises questions on the bounty programs transparency.
