Refugees rush home to Marawi to join in rescue ops during 8-hr truce

ILIGAN CITY —Thousands of evacuees seeking refuge in this neighboring city rushed to their troubled home Marawi City to join in rescue operations while the clock ticked away the minutes in the 8-hour humanitarian truce that was to end at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

After taking part in the 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. morning prayers to welcome Eid'l Fitr, some 2,000 Muslim men, women and children prepared to join the Ranao Rescue Team (RRT); wearing T-shirts printed with "Pray for Marawi" slogan, they rode off to Marawi City in a 30-kilometer trip from Iligan City.

On Sunday morning, sounds of gunfire and bombs from airstrikes went silent as the military observed a self-imposed "humanitarian pause" to give Muslims time to solemnly welcome Eid'l Fitr.

Former Commissioner of Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), Samira Gutoc, who is also the focal person of the RRT, thanked the Iligan City government and all kindhearted Christians for accommodating Muslim refugees from Marawi.

For his part, RRT operations head Pindatun Disimba said that the rescue team is very happy for the humanitarian ceasefire, especially on Eid'l Fitr, Islam's supposedly festive but holy event at the culmination of the 30-day, dawn-to-dusk fasting  and prayers during the month-long Ramadan.

“I am sure that the family of those who were trapped will be happy for this opportunity,” Disimba said.

Elian Macala, organizer of the Ed'l Fitr prayer in Iligan City also said that the Marawi City siege is a challenge for unity for all Maranaos, especially  in efforts to rebuild their city.

Earlier on Saturday, Lt. Col Jo-ar Herrera, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force Haribon, said that the 8-hour ceasefire was to take place from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPPAP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) also assisted the RRT and the military in efforts to rescue civilians still trapped in skirmishes since May 23, and to retrieve the bodies of the dead in the month-long war to liberate Marawi from ISIS-influenced Maute and other jihadist groups. —Mariz Revales/LBG, GMA News