THE government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peacekeepers have rescued on Sunday, June 11, through the “Peace Corridors,” four more civilians trapped in the ongoing fighting in Marawi City.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) said in a statement the rescued trapped civilians included three Maranaos, and a Christian.
They were retrieved in Barangay Banggolo Poblacion area, a designated “Peace Corridor,” in coordination with the troops under Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom).
The rescued trapped civilians were immediately processed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for proper identification.
The rescue on Sunday of the four trapped civilians came a day after Hanifa Ampuan, wife of the one retrieved civilians, has coordinated with the Joint Coordination, Monitoring, and Assistance Center (JCMAC) concerning the whereabouts of her husband and three companions.
Ms. Ampuan works with the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
The four rescued civilians have been trapped at Barangay Moncado Colony since the start of the fighting in Marawi City.
They were transferred to the medical clinic at the capitol grounds of Marawi City and were given medical assistance.
The fighting started on May 23 when the Maute group members went berserk and laid siege after government troops raided the hideout of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.
The Maute group followers are providing protection to Hapilon in Marawi City.
The rescue of the four civilians on Sunday brought to a total of 221 trapped people rescued since the establishment of the Peace Corridor a week ago.
The government and the MILF have so far open two peace corridors.
These are the three-kilometer Bangolo Bridge to Quezon Avenue to rescue trapped civilians, and the 73-kilometer Malabang-Marawi route to provide a safe delivery of relief goods to the displaced families. (SunStar Philippines)