DISMAYED. Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate expressed dismay over the refusal of the military to allow representatives of National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission to enter Marawi City on Thursday, June 15. Aside from the distribution of relief goods, representatives of the mission also aimed to talk to the local government officials in the area to hear their briefings and views on the ongoing military offensives in the city. (Alexander Lopez/davaotoday.com)
ILIGAN CITY, Philippines – A team from the National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission were denied entry by the military to Marawi City on Thursday, June 15.
Part of the three-day mission is to visit Marawi and see the conditions of the evacuees now being housed in one of the buildings inside the Provincial Capitol.
“We were dismayed. There’s discrimination here,” said Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate, who was part of the humanitarian mission.
Zarate said that local organizers of the mission already coordinated not only with the local government units but also with the military.
“They were given assurance that the humanitarian mission can proceed to Marawi,” he pointed out, adding that the military even limited the number of participants that will enter Marawi into 30 to distribute relief assistance and at the same time meet with the local government officials.
Names of the delegates and the plate numbers of vehicles were also submitted to comply with the regulations set.
“The organizers to the mission complied with the needed requirement. Unfortunately, when we were about to enter Marawi we were stopped at the checkpoint,” Zarate said.
He said that aside from the distribution of relief goods, he, as a member of the House of Representatives and part of the mission also wanted to talk to the local leaders and ask for briefing especially from the local government.
“We already heard of the narratives of the situation from the military with the justification that we are now under martial law,” he added.
Under the Constitution, Zarate said, the civilian authority was not supplanted with the declaration of martial law.
“We want to hear first-hand information from the side of the local government especially on their take and views on the present situation in Marawi,” he added.
Zarate asked: “What’s in there if we talk to the local officials? As a member of the House, I am also willing to listen to the military if even given a chance to enter Marawi.”
It’s his being part of the Makabayan bloc in Congress, Zarate believed, was the reason why he and the other members of the humanitarian mission were denied entry to Marawi.
STRATEGIC RELIEF OPERATION. Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera (left) spokesperson of Joint Task Force Marawi tells the reporters in a press conference on Thursday at the Provincial Capitol in Marawi that an operation center for relief operation was already set-up in Iligan City since day three of the siege while Zia Alonto Adiong (right) spokesperson of the Provincial Crisis Management Committee said it’s the military gives go signal and provide safe conduct clearance to those who would like to enter Marawi. (Alexander Lopez/davaotoday.com)
Strategic area for relief goods
In a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, June 15 at the Provincial Capitol in Marawi, Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, spokesperson of the Joint Task Force Marawi said an operation center for relief operation was already set-up in Iligan City since day three of the Marawi siege.
“Lahat po ng relief operations at mga tulong ay doon po binabagsak sa Iligan City,” Herrera said.
He added that all reliefs and help are welcome but these must be delivered to strategic places, such as in Iligan.
Herrera also told reporters that only a few internally displaced persons are staying in Marawi and their supplies are enough to support their needs.
In the same press conference on Thursday, Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the Provincial Crisis Management Committee said it is the military that gives go signal and provide the safe conduct clearance.
“It’s more of a strategic reasoning, according to the military, why they were asked of, instead here in Marawi City to go down to Iligan and then distribute the relief goods. Yong ang sabi ng military,” Adiong told davaotoday.com in an interview at the sideline of the press conference.
Zarate also hoped he and other members of the Makabayan bloc in Congress could still find time to talk with the local officials of Marawi and Lanao del Sur.
He said there could be other venues where they could sit down with the local officials and hear their side of the situation in Marawi. (davaotoday.com)
