Efforts to rescue up to 2,000 civilians trapped in fighting between government forces and Islamist militants in a Philippine city failed on June 4 when a proposed truce ended in a hail of gunfire and explosions, authorities and witnesses said. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS
(Eagle News) — The Philippine government said it has rescued a total of 1,467 civilians since the start of the fighting in Marawi City, including 179 civilians rescued on Sunday by government forces.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the latest rescued by government forces were the 179 civilians rescued during the “four-hour humanitarian pause” — or from 8 a.m. to 12 noon — in the firefight on Sunday, June 4.
There were also 95 civilians rescued at around 6 a.m. at the Dansalan area.
“The President has promised to end the Marawi conflict within the the shortest possible time but consistent of course with due regard for the protection of innocent lives and avoidance of abuses,” Abella said explaining the President’s comments about the Marawi crisis.
The number of families displaced by the Marawi crisis has reached 37,640 families or 185,878 persons in region 10 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Of this number, Abella said there are 3,768 families or 18,065 persons who are still staying in 29 evacuation centers, while 33,872 families or 167,813 persons are staying outside the evacuation centers with their relatives and friends.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said that the priority of the government forces is to ensure that there would be no collateral damage, or civilians who would be killed as fighting intensifies between government forces and the Islamist rebels.
He said that because they do not know the location of these civilians, this lack of knowledge on this is becoming the “most critical” factor that is hampering the military in its movements against the ISIS-inspired Islamist terrorists.
“Most critical is the presence of civilians, the exact location of which we are not in the know. May mga bahay na di natin akalain na may nakatira pa,” Padilla said.
Padilla said that the government forces would just be surprised that there would be civilians who would be coming out as soldiers pass by certain areas, in places which they initially thought were abandoned.
But he said that the government forces are giving high importance to preserve the lives of civilians, which was why it was urging civilians in Marawi City to leave the city.
The government earlier said that there might be 2,000 civilians still trapped in Marawi City, which was the reason that government initiated peace corridors, and provided for “humanitarian pauses” that would allow for more civilians to come out and flee from the war-torn city.
Padilla also criticized the Islamist terrorists, including the Maute group, for disrespecting the “humanitarian pause” and peace corridors set up in Marawi City as the Maute snipers hit and killed one civilian, and also hit and injured two government troopers who were escorting “humanitarians” or those involved in humanitarian work entering Marawi City during the 8 a.m. to 12 noon humanitarian pause on Sunday.
“Sa nangyaring usapan, na-orchestrate at na-facilitate ang pagkakaroon ng third party connection na nagbigay daan sa nangyaring humanitarian pause,” Padilla explained during the press briefing.
But he said this was not a guarantee for safety, since even civilians were being shot at by the Islamist rebels despite a previous agreement to allow this to happen so civilians would be able to leave the areas of fighting.
