Gov’t troops in Bicol pitch in for Marawi evacuees

LEGAZPI CITY — Soldiers from the Bicol region on Tuesday sent a truckload of relief goods to Marawi City to help residents displaced by the fighting between government troops and terrorists in the Lanao del Sur provincial capital.

Col. Andrew Costelo, 9th Infantry Division (ID) chief of staff, said the donation consisted of 200 sacks of rice, boxes of canned goods and clothes, and P800,000 raised by soldiers and other donors.

Costelo said each soldier in their division gave P150, corresponding to their subsistence allowance for a day.

Maj. Gen. Manolito Orense, 9th ID commander, said letters written by students in the region were also sent to evacuees and soldiers in Marawi to boost their morale. —Michael B. Jaucian