Only residents near Lake Lanao allowed to return to their homes: military
Residents of war-torn Marawi City cannot return to their homes as they could still be hit by stray bullets, the military said on Monday.
In the "Mindanao Hour" press briefing in Malacanang, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr., spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said those from other municipalities within Lake Lanao are allowed to go back to their respective homes.
"The signal for the return of the residents applies only to those from outside municipalities not within Marawi, but those within the vicinity of the lake. So residents of municipalities within Lake Lanao and outside of Marawi City can now go back to their respective residences passing through alternate routes, from Saguiaran-Piagapo road, which is the north part or Malabang to Lanao Del Sur road, which is at the southern part," he said.
He said the internally displaced people from Marawi City who desire to stay with their relatives from the municipalities along Lake Lanao "can do so voluntarily and they may leave their current evacuation centers, but still receive relief assistance from government while they are there."
But he said they must register with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development for accounting purposes and distribution of relief goods.
Padilla recalled there was a resident who tried to return to Marawi but a stray bullet hit him.Fortunately, he said the person did not die.
Meanwhile, a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis, which will be the basis of the post-conflict needs assessment, has been conducted over the weekend in the evacuation centers, said Office of the Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, spokesperson of Task Forces Bangon Marawi, in the same briefing.
The full report has yet to come out.
Purisima said the transitional shelters will be established in a private 11-hectare location in Sagunsungan village in Marawi City.
Padilla said the relocation site was being lent for free by the owner, whom he refused to identify.
The government officials could not give yet any estimate as to how many displaced families would be relocated in the transitional shelters. Celerina Monte/DMS
