Marawi City (CNN Philippines) — Vice President Leni Robredo paid the evacuees at the Al Markazie Islamic Institute in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte a visit.
“Kausap natin yung mga tao. Steady supply naman ‘yung pagkain. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa mga volunteers kasi maayos na maayos yung pamamalakad,” she said.
She added the situation has improved from when she first visited Iligan on May 29, days after the fighting in Marawi began. Her office has been giving out relief packages to evacuees.
The opposition figurehead declined to comment on the more controversial aspects of the Marawi crisis, like the martial law in Mindanao.
She said the situation calls for unity.
“Hindi perpekto. Pero kailangang pagtulungan nating lahat. Rather than mag-criticize tayo nang mag-criticize, magtulungan na lang tayo kasi maraming pangangailangan talagang kailangang sagutin,” she said.
Robredo said she believes the government is doing its best to end the crisis and attend to the needs of the evacuees.
“I think the government has been doing everything that it can. We can only hope that this will end soon,” she said.
Robredo added, “Gusto kong maniwala na lahat ginagawa. Mahirap kasi ngayon na wala tayong united front. Dapat more than at any other time sa ating bansa, ngayon dapat tayong magpakita na nagkakaisa tayo.”
To date, the crisis has displaced an estimated 200,000 people. It has seen the death of over 300, including some 290 Maute members, 70 government troops, and 27 civilians.
The military said terrorists continue to destroy and set buildings on fire inside Marawi a day after the humanitarian pause. It said arson activities were monitored in the four barangays still held by the Maute.
