MARAWI CITY – Authorities have recovered Monday 14 more bodies, including that of three minors, as fighting between the military and local terrorist group Maute continue to intensify.
The recovery was made by the Humanitarian and Emergency Action Response Team (HEART) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) yesterday.
Among those retrieved were bodies of a couple, eight male teenagers, and a suspected Maute group member who were all brought to a funeral parlor in Iligan City for post-mortem examination as required by Scene of the Crime Operatives.
Recently, troops found the bodies of 16 other civilians which included a group of four men, three women, and a child who were discovered near a road close to the Mindanao State University in Marawi.
Meantime, Authorities have rescued also on Monday at least 121 civilians in a village, bringing to 69,853 individuals or 14,699 families rescued since the turmoil erupted.
Major Abdullah Mocsona, Philippine Army’s Civil-Military Operations officer, 103rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division based in Kampo Ranao said the civilians were picked up by joint rescue teams from the AFP-PNP-ICRC in Barangay Datu Saber Monday morning.
They were brought to an evacuation center in Iligan City after having been processed for proper identifications while several more residents are still trapped in the bloody fighting.
As this developed, civilian and military authorities have issued protocols for civilians to be rescued.
ARMM Assemblywoman Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the Provincial Crisis Management Committee said civilians are advised to put white-armed bands and, if with vehicles, to display white flags, as well.
Adiong said this will provide rescue teams with proper visuals to easily reach out to them.
As of yesterday, all the barangays situated before the bridges traversing the Agus River have been cleared of animosity, including Mindanao State University Main campus. (Camcer O. Imam)
