‘Hijab troopers’: AFP’s all-female team reaches out to the youngest Marawi evacuees

Female soldiers wearing hijabs fought the cultural and psychosocial aspect of the battle on Thursday when they tended to children displaced from the war-torn city of Marawi.

Troops of the Joint AFP-PNP Community Relations Company known as "Hijab troopers" played games and sang songs with the young evacuees in a gym at the heart of Balo-i, Lanao del Norte.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the all-female CRC is composed of 55 enlisted army personnel and 40 non-commissioned police officers, led by four female Army soldiers.

Thirty-six are Muslims and 22 are Maranao.

"Their mission is to assist in the implementation of programs that will help IDPs who have been traumatized by their experience in the ongoing rebellion in the city," said the AFP in a statement on social media.

The group, which will go to evacuation centers and communities "that significantly need rehabilitation," will be under the control of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

According to Ian Cruz in a report on "24 Oras," the cultural gesture of the troops wearing hijabs drew mixed reactions. But the CRC's spokesperson defended the decision for them to wear the Muslim headscarf.

"Ang pag-suot po ng hijab ay isang tanda ng pag-respeto ng relihiyon, kultura, atsaka 'yung sensitivity ng mga nasa komunidad," PO3 Tata Lucman said.

At the center, the soldiers led the kids in a drawing activity, through which they assessed what was troubling the children.

While several kids drew pictures of their houses that they wished to return to, one of them drew a military helicopter.

"Ang sa amin lang, magagawa natin is ang mailapit siya kung saan siya dapat ilapit, para magawan ng paraan habang...bata pa lang," said one of the officers, First Lieutenant Gina Peña.

The report said that up to 127 evacuated families were living in Gumapong Ali Gym alone.

The military estimated that a total of 400,000 people had to leave the comfort of their homes since the May 23 start of the battle between government troops and the ISIS-inspired members of the Maute group.

Keeping watch over the lake

On its 101st day, the high-powered clashes could still be heard from the main battle area.

The Philippine Marines seek to reclaim two more bridges after they declared control over Mapandi, which used to be a stronghold for the militants.

Troops were also positioned along Lake Lanao to prevent the terrorist threat from spilling over to the neighboring town of Marantao.

The local government had disabled a resident's boat by removing its engine as a precaution.

This followed an incident wherein two townsfolk were arrested for lending their boats to terrorists, who used them to go in and out of Marawi by lake.

Although he was relying on goods to survive, Jalal Malang said he would never negotiate with a terrorist for any amount of money.

"Talagang hindi namin matatanggap, kaysa naman sirain namin 'yung  siyudad namin. Ayan lang naman ang Marawi, nakaka-awa na 'yung mga tao diyan, paano namin matatanggap 'yun? Nakikita namin 'yung marawi, naaawa din kami," he said in the report. — Margaret Claire Layug/BM, GMA News