More than 400 Marawi evacuees seek shelter in Cagayan de Oro

A mosque in Cagayan de Oro City was filled with people on Tuesday, not just with Muslims praying but also with evacuees from Marawi City.

According to an exclusive report by Saleema Refran on Unang Balita, more than 400 evacuees from tension-filled Marawi City have sought shelter in Brgy. Balulang.

The said barangay is called Little Marawi since it is home to the biggest community of Muslims in the city.

With Ramadan, the Sharief Alawi Mosque has opened its doors to the evacuees.

During iftar or first meal after a whole day of fasting, the evacuees share soup and bread, then participate in prayers for peace.

Jalil Moctar, one of the evacuees, said, "Nakaka-trauma talaga 'yung nangyari. Hindi mo alam saan galing 'yung bala. Hindi mo alam kung papakialaman ka ng ISIS o hindi. Ganun talaga po, ma'm. Maluwag na maluwag na ngayon kasi nandito na kami sa Cagayan."

Appeal to Maute

The president of the Balulang Muslim Association, Bantog Sultan, said, "Ano ba dapat ang pinaglalaban natin? Hindi natin alam ang pinaglalaban natin. Ano bang pinaglalaban, na kawawain ang mga kapatid nating Muslim?" 

He urged members of the Maute group, who has attacked Marawi City and is the subject of military operations to flush them out, to stop their activities.

"We appeal to them, to our relatives in Maute group, dapat tama na," Sultan said.

Registration

On Monday, authorities started the registration process for evacuees in the barangay.

Each evacuee will undergo verification by the zone leader, Muslim leader, barangay, and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Once cleared, each evacuee will be given an identification card.

This will ensure that there are no terrorists among the evacuees.

"Hindi namin gusto na kung meron ng Maute dito sa Balulang. Hindi namin gusto na makapareha din sa Marawi ang Balulang," said Alfredo Carcosa, barangay chairman.

According to SPO2 Zona Fabria of the Women and Children's Protection Desk of Station 4 of PNP Cagayan de Oro, those without IDs will be investigated.

"Kapag walang ID 'yung one of the evacuees, i-blotter natin tapos imbestigahan talaga. I-hold sila ang person... Aarestuhin talaga," she said.

The local government meanwhile has also started profiling the evacuees.

"Ito po kasi ang basis for possible programs na ibibigay namin sa kanila," said Jefferson Hamol-Awon of the city social welfare department.

Evacuees understood the need for the process, with one of them saying it will let authorities know they are there and need their help.

Another one said having an ID will make them easily identifiable to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP. —KG, GMA News