Haji Nurian Cabugatan, 51, breaks into tears as she narrates to reporters how she found her house ransacked and her, jewelry and money already gone. The military allowed Cabugatan and her neighbors to enter their village provided they only clean the premises of their homes and not to enter. Many of the residents including Hassan disobeyed the order and entered their houses. (photo by froilan gallardo)
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By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent

MARAWI City — School teacher Baicona Hassan, 41, was overwhelmed by her emotions as she walked the final steps to her house that she has not seen since fierce clashes between government forces and the Isis-inspired Maute Group broke out on May 23.

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She and other residents of Barangay Basak Malotlot were given permission by the military to clean the surroundings outside their homes but were forbidden to enter.

Entering the orange gate, Hassan broke into tears when she saw the rubble inside of what used to be the home for her husband and three children.

From the outside, she saw everything in shambles.

“I think I lost all my appliances that I bought through hard work. They looted my home,” Hassan said.

Hassan defied the military order not to enter and went inside her house where she carefully inspected all the rooms of her two story-house.

In her bedroom, Hassan found the beds turnabout and dirtied; their clothes strewn all over the floor.

“The looters picked our best clothes. They left as with our old ones,” Hassan said wiping the tears from her face.

She continued to her kitchen where she found her refrigerator, washing machine and oven gone.

“My only relief is that our home was not destroyed like the others. My family can clean all the mess,” Hassan said.

Farther down the street, 54-year-old Haji Nurian Cabugatan cried out loudly when she found her house was ransacked, too.

The looters have found her jewelry box which she stashed inside a cabinet in her bedroom.

Cabugatan said she lost three gold rings, P20,000 and three watches including the one that was a gift by her late husband.

She said she left all of her valuables when she fled May 23 thinking that the fierce gunbattles would be over in a matter of hours.

“I am fond of the watch that was given to me by my late husband. I lost a lifetime of memories,” Cabugatan said.

The military allowed residents to visit their houses in the villages of Sarimanok and Basak Malotlot, a week after the termination of hostilities in Marawi city.

Armed Forces Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez said the first who would be allowed to go home are residents living in the western portion of Marawi in what they called as “controlled area.”

Galvez said no schedule has been planned for the return of residents of 30 barangays of Marawi’s 90 villages which are mostly located in the main battle area in the eastern portion of the city.

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