9-month old succumbs to diarrhea, 3 -year-old girl among unclaimed dead

A nine-month old died of diarrhea while the baby and her mother went from one place to another to avoid the bombing and the clashes between government and Maute group bandits in Marawi City.

In Saleema Refran's report on "24 Oras" on Tuesday, Raihanna Sharief narrated that she and her child fled for four days in Marawi City, even staying at one time at the jail where bodies were starting to rot.

Raihanna said she ate spoiled food just to survive while her baby only had some biscuits.

"Apat na ang napuntahan namin, last na napuntahan namin doon sa jail... natulog kami don tapos naaamoy mo 'yung mga bangkay, patay na. Doon na... siguro, doon na nagstart 'yung pagtatae niya," Raihana said, adding that it could be the reason why her baby got sick.

"Ang sakit po nun Ma'am, kumain ka ng ganon, no choice eh... hindi ka pwedeng magluto. Kasi ang nasa isip mo, baka may bomba paano ka makatakas," she added.

She said that it was at the evacuation center in Iligan City, where the condition of her baby worsened.

The baby eventually succumbed to her illness.

Raihanna asked President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the hostilities in Marawi City.

"Mr. President, sana magawan niya ng paraan para matigil 'yung bakbakan sa Marawi... 'yung bombing. Marami na po kaming apektado doon. Marami nang namatay na bata, mga sibilyan," Sharief said.

Meanwhile, the report also said there were still unclaimed bodies including 11 unidentified bodies in Capin Funeral Homes in Iligan City.

One of them is that of a girl, three to four years ild.

"Lahat po ay may tama ng bala. Kaya 'kung may tama ito ng bala at wasak talaga some part meron sa ulo, talagang hindi na makikilala. To request the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) Region 10 and the SOCO team kung pwedeng magawan ng DNA test," said Maurico Ceveles of the Management of the Dead and Missing.

The report added that for people who are searching for relatives, they could contact the following number: 0923-156-8231.

The report said there are already 25,600 evacuees in Iligan City. —Anna Felicia Bajo/NB, GMA News