PM gives prosthetic limbs to 14 Filipino soldiers

Manila, Nov 14: Lending his contribution more as a mark of solidarity with the Filipino soldiers who fought the IS terrorists in Marawi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday handed over prosthetic limbs to at least 14 soldiers. 

The event took place at a simple but solemn function at the Museum of History of Ideas at the Philippine General Hospital compound. The Prime Minister was there for a brief event with the Mahaveer Philippines Foundation Inc on Monday. "Fourteen soldiers who fought during the recent war in Marawi, together with more than a hundred Filipino amputees received prosthetic limbs from India yesterday (that is Monday) in an event led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi in Manila," said a report in The Manila Bulletin. Mahaveer Philippines Foundation Inc President Enrique Lim said, "Chief of Staff has sent 14 amputees from the Marawi at this particular time. But from time to time we include soldiers". He added, "They are the ones who fought for the country. We owe them for sacrificing their lives for the comfort of your home and they fought for our country". The Philippines government on October 23 declared an "end to fierce urban warfare" in Marawi after troops killed the last pro-Islamic State (IS) terrorists who seized the city for five months to establish an enclave of the Middle East-based jihadi group in Southeast Asia. “We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi,” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said. He said government troops prevailed in the battle for control of a building where the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists made their last stand. Troops also recovered 42 bodies of the last group of terrorists.  Mahavir Philippines Foundation, an associate centre of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, is based in Jaipur, which is famous for "Jaipur Foot.”  "PM @narendramodi interacts with 9-year-old Carlo Migel Silvano from Bulacan province at Mahaveer Philippine Foundation in Manila. He is one of the thousands in Philippines fitted with the Indian-made 'Jaipur Foot' at this Foundation," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with a photograph of Mr Modi with the 9-year-old Carlo. “I want to be a policeman” my young friend told me…glad to see the Jaipur Foot giving wings to the aspirations of many youngsters like him (Carlo)," Mr Modi has said in a tweet on Monday about his interaction with Carlo. On a three-day visit to the Philippines, on the last day on Tuesday, the Prime Minister will attend 12th East Asia Summit and 15th ASEAN-India Summit in Manila. UNI