90% of Marawi City residents evacuated; over 1,000 trapped

Some 90 percent of the entire population of Marawi City have been evacuated, but over a thousand have remained trapped in their houses as clashes between government troops and the Maute-ISIS Group continue to rage for four days.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) executive secretary Atty. Laisa Alamia told Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday that of the over 201,700 residents in the city, more or less 90 percent ay nakalabas na."

However, Alamia said that as of May 26 (Friday), a total of 1,333 residents are still trapped in different barangays in the city.

"We're getting all their names and whereabouts, yung exact location nila.We're trying to arrange with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and provincial government ng Lanao del Sur... Yung pag-rescue ng mga tao na nandoon pa sa loob," she said.

"So, yun yung priority natin mailabas sila. At ang second priority ay yung mga nakalabas na nandyan na sa evacuation centers ay mabigyan kaagad ng intervention. Nandoon na po ang mga trucks carrying relief goods and also the medical team," she added.

Those who are trapped, she said, have opted to stay inside their houses since members of the Maute Group still roam the barangays.

"Nasa mga bahay bahay po nila sila, yung iba nagtitipon-tipon sa mga bahay na safe. Hindi sila makalabas dahil nakikita pa rin nila sa mga streets yung presence ng local terrorist group, itong Maute group."

Meanwhile, she said that Mindanao State University students and teachers were also evacuated on Friday.

Those stranded, she said, have yet to receive assistance from the government, noting that some of them are already running out of food supply.

"For now, they are on their own, unfortunately. Ito ang nakalulungkot kasi pang-ilang araw na tayo simula nung nagsimula ang crisis. For some of them, paubos na yung kanilang pagkain in one area. May mga bata po yan, pamilya po yan. We're still trying to do our best na mailabas itong mga naiwan pa sa loob."

She also hoped that "humanitarian corridor" in some areas in Marawi would remain open in order to assist trapped civilians.

"In some areas kasi open, mayroong  humanitarian corridor na tinatawag natin na para makaadaan itong mga civilians na trapped pa doon. We're hoping na ma-open pa the other areas. However, hindi natin ma-assure yon, hindi makabigay ng clearance din ang military kasi nandoon mismo ang mga members ng terrorist group," she added. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/LBG, GMA News