4,000 families flee homes due to clashes

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

OVER four thousand families have evacuated to safer grounds in Marawi and neighboring towns as a result of clashes between government forces and what the military called as a terrorist organization in Lanao del Sur.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. has created a Crisis Management Committee, and then announced he would head it as heavy fightings between the army’s 51st Infantry Battalion and an armed group intensified in Barangay Bayabao, Poblacion, Butig in Lanao del Sur.

Officials said some 4,300 families have already evacuated to safer grounds in Marawi and some Lanao del Sur towns based on a report from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

Lanao del Sur provincial information officer Jennie Tamano  told local radio local officials fear that the number of evacuees from Butig alone could further shoot up unless the fightings stopped.

She said there were evacuees from other towns but they could not be counted because “we cannot penetrate other areas” due to safety concerns.

Tamano said social workers were advised by the military not to go near Barangay Bayabao Poblacion because members of what the military refered to as “foreign and local terrorist organization” posed threats.

Tamano said relief operations have started.

“The place is not safe. But we are monitoring. Our concern right now is to help the civilians, and provide them with relief aid,” she stressed.

She said no civilian has been reported killed.  “We only noted at least three Army personnel killed, and six others wounded since Saturday,” she said.

Maharlani Alonto, PSWD officer, said they were running short of relief goods because the number of evacuees kept on increasing.

Maj. Felimon Tan, spokesperson of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, said civilians started to evacuate as a result of the clashes between government forces and the “terrorist group.”