'Growing concern' of looting in Marawi amid conflict –official

Marawi City residents displaced by the ongoing conflict have complained of items stolen from their houses, GMA News' Cedric Castillo reported on 24 Oras on Friday, citing a disaster official.

"There's a growing concern of looting," provincial crisis management committee spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong said. "They've been texting us na yung mga bahay nila, nawalan ng mga... Maraming nawalang properties."

Because of this, Adiong said all local leaders have been tasked to form volunteer security teams to guard communities but emphasized that they will not be allowed to use guns.

"Definitely not," Adiong said. "It will be purely civilian. It's a civilian-military partnership."

A young resident, however, told GMA News that most of them have firearms.

"Yung mga baril namin dito yung mga mahahaba na baril. Armalite, yung mga pistol, saka yung mga AK. Marami pang ibang mga baril," he said, but added that teenagers were not allowed to own guns by their elders.

"Sa 'ming ganitong mga teenager, hindi po kami humahawak ng mga bari," he said.

Another resident, Monakirim Batabor Jr., recalled how on the second day of the conflict, Maute members tried to blow up a bridge linking Marawi City to Iligan City. said they have been advised by their elders to use their firearms to protect themselves and their properties from members of the ISIS-inspired Maute group.

"May dala silang bag atsaka yung isang lalaki may dalang ano, M16. Nasa likod, yung parang hindi Maranao. Iba-ibang lahi," he said.

"Kasi itong bridge na 'to, ito yung alternative route papuntang Marawi at Iligan," he added. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News