Bakery workers trapped in Marawi recall how they survived Maute

A group of bakery workers were among the fortunate hundreds who survived the Maute group's attack in Marawi City on May 23.

In a 24 Oras report by Oscar Oida on Saturday, the four bakery workers talked to GMA News and recalled how they survived the Maute group.

"Hindi namin alam kung papaano na ang buhay namin kaya lumabas na lang kami sa bahay na pinadaanan namin. Patay o buhay, tinanggap na namin. Wala na kaming makakain doon, tubig lang kinakain namin," Roger Candao told GMA News.

Candao said they got trapped at the bakery after Maute group members attacked the city on May 23.

On May 26, they decided to leave the place because they had ran out of food.

Candao said the Maute members fired at them as they fled the bakery.

Edwin Makalipay, one of the bakers, was grazed by a bullet on the nose and sustained a gunshot wound in the left calf.

He said they were already on a bridge in Raya Madaya area when the Maute group members spotted them and fired at them.

Makalipay, meanwhile, was fortunate because another baker, Jimay Giwanay, lost a brother when the Maute members attacked their group.

"Sobrang sakit talaga. Naiwan namin, pati bangkay hindi namin nakuha," Giwanay said. "Kukunin ko yun, mamamatay na rin kami kasi yung mga kasama ko 'di rin ako iiwanan. Iniwanan na lang namin katawan ng kapatid ko."

Giwanay's brother was hit in the head and died on-the-spot.

He said he had promised to return to Raya Madaya to retrieve his brother's body once the conflict in the city is over.

The bakers told GMA News that after escaping the Maute group, they were able to find another hiding place, where they stayed for six days.

Makalipay said they survived on water and cardboard in their new hiding place.

Marcelo Gawasan, another survivor, said their group had another close encounter with the Maute group when the terrorist entered their hiding place.

"Hindi kami gumagalaw dun sa isang kwarto. Ang iba nakatayo, ang iba nakaupo, ang iba nakahiga na lang. Hindi na talaga gumagalaw," Gawasan said.

Fortunately, the Maute group members who stormed their hiding place did not check the room where they were holed up.

"Yun lang ang hindi nila nabuksan, yung kuwarto namin," he said.

The group said they left the hiding place after running out of water again, and on May 31, after walking several kilometers while fearing another encounter the the local terrorists, they were spotted by government forces.

"Napaiyak ako. Sabi ko sir, thank you. Sabi niya dapa! Buhay na buhay kami... Sige dapa lang kami, alam kong sundalo 'yon," Makalipay recalled.

The Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command had reported that a total of 20 civilians have been confirmed killed by the Maute group. It said that the latest fatality was shot by a Maute group sniper.

It was not clear if Giwanay's brother was among those killed based on the military's data.

The military command also reported that 120 Maute members and 38 soldiers have been killed in the ongoing conflict.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Crisis Management Council, meanwhile, reported that 221, 275 individuals or 44,255 families have been displaced as of 9:00 p.m. of June 2.

It said that 3,139 people remained stranded in the embattled city and 63 individuals had been missing.

A total of 2,998 civilians, meanwhile, have been rescued from the Maute infested areas in the city. —Rie Takumi/ALG, GMA News