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[av_heading heading=’Marawi City refugees in WV surge to 285 ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – With the extension of martial law in Mindanao until Dec. 31, 2017, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) expects Marawi City regufees in Western Visayas to further increase.
The number of refugees in the region has risen to 285 from 179 last month, data from the PRO-6 showed.
There are currently 218 in Aklan, up from 133 last month, according to Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson of the regional police.
In Capiz, the PRO-6 recorded an increase, too – 47 this July from 28 last month.
“The number of evacuees in the province of Iloilo is still the same at eight but in Iloilo City, 12 more were reported. They’re staying in La Paz and Molo districts with relatives who have long migrated here,” said Gorero.
In Iloilo province, the refugees were staying in Barangay Poblacion Ilaya, Sara town.
“They feel discomfort in Marawi City and they prefer to live here because Western Visayas is peaceful,” said Gorero.
The conflict in Marawi City started on May 23 when government security forces attempted to arrest Abu Sayyaf Group leader Isnilon Hapilon, the ISIS “Emir” in Southeast Asia. The Maute group put up a fight.
“We urge the public not to panic. These Maranao families are evacuees and not Maute group members. Western Visayas is Maute-free. There’s nothing to worry about,” said Gorero.
Department of National Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed hope that the ongoing clearing operations in Marawi City will be completed within a month.
“We hope to finish it soon, the reason being our troops are already tired there, (and) we are having a lot (of) casualties,” he said yesterday.
As of this writing, between 109 to 110 government troops were killed, along with 453 Maute group terrorists neutralized and 45 civilians killed or executed.
In the more than two months of battle, 900 government troops were reported wounded.
Lorenzana said he wanted government forces to conclusively defeat the lawless band so that rehabilitation of Marawi City can proceed full./PN
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