The government of Zamboanga City confirmed via social media site Twitter that a commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) involved in the siege of the city has surrendered along with seven of his men.
Region IX police spokesperson Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca told the Inquirer Salip Idjal, the commander, and his men surrendered Tuesday morning and are now under the custody of the city police.
He said 37 MNLF rebels have so far surrendered to local police and military forces.
The surrender occurred in Brgy. Sta. Catalina, one of the most heavily fought areas in the city.
Huesca said government troops are clearing the area.
As fighting between government forces and MNLF rebels die down, attention turned to the condition of civilians who fled the violence in the city, many of whom are cramped in evacuation centers.
The national government has called citizens to send more aid to Zamboanga, where more than 100,000 displaced residents are awaiting food and other supplies.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman told Agence France-Presse the situation “has become a humanitarian crisis.”
She said evacuees are spread throughout 57 sites, including the main sports complex where more than 70,000 line up for aid and jostle for living space using what materials are available.
“We are trying to organize them by providing them better materials,” she said.
“The tents are very fragile. If it starts raining hard, there will be a massive problem for children, women, the elderly, the babies and their lactating mothers,” she added.
She appealed for public donations of clothes, food, educational materials, and toys for the children.
Soliman also urged citizens who did not stay in evacuation centers to register with local offices of her department in order to receive aid from the government.
Her department is cooperating with local food providers and civic organizations to distribute food among evacuees.
Feeding alone has cost close to Php38-million, Php35.4-million of which has come from Soliman’s department, Php1.4-million from private groups and individuals, and Php1.0-million from the city.
(with reports from The Philippine Inquirer and Agence France-Presse)