Alternative route for relief goods for Marawi evacuees eyed

DAVAO CITY — Lanao del Sur officials have asked the military to open an alternative route to Ditsaan Ramain town that bypasses the battle zone in Marawi City for delivery of relief goods to evacuees in 11 southern towns in the province.

Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the Lanao del Sur crisis management committee, told the Inquirer by phone on Wednesday that relief goods for 50,000 evacuees who fled to Ditsaan Ramain, Bubong, Masiu and other towns in the south were not delivered on Tuesday because the bridge in Poona Bayabao town lacked capacity to allow the seven large trucks carrying the supplies through.

Adiong said there was an alternative route, but security concerns delayed the delivery of the relief goods.

A provincial government source said delivery of the relief goods was also delayed because of reports that people from some towns were poised to intercept the humanitarian convoy.

“It would have been chaos if that happened,” the source said.

In a post on social media, Drieza Lininding, a civil society leader, called the failure of the provincial government to deliver the relief goods a “military food blockade.”

“Stop the food blockade. You’re starving the people. You’re killing us softly,” Lininding said.

Adiong said the crisis committee was talking to the military for an alternative route and was hoping clearance would be given immediately.

Vice Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. had earlier denied there was a food blockade, but acknowledged security concerns affected delivery of relief goods.