Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 24 May 2018
Philippines struggles with evacuees, bombed city after siege

Associated Press the Islamic State group was
MARAWI, Philippines (AP) — gaining a foothold in the
Thousands of displaced re- Asian region. The months
main in emergency shelters of intense fighting forced
and the threat of Islamic hundreds of thousands of
extremists and unexploded residents of Marawi and
bombs lingers in the rubble outlying towns to flee for
of a southern Philippine city, their lives.
where survivors on Wednes- While many have returned
day remembered a disas- home after the attack was
trous five-month siege by quelled, thousands more
Islamic State group-aligned whose houses were de-
fighters that began a year stroyed in the main battle
ago. area that remains off-limits
The Rev. Teresito Soganub, to civilians are still living in
who survived 117 days of evacuation centers and
captivity by the extremists temporary shelters, officials
in Marawi city, said that said. At least 50 people are
aside from the devastation, still listed as missing and
it would take years for him many human remains have
and other civilians to over- Protesters march towards the Presidential Palace to mark the anniversary of the siege by Islamic not yet been identified and
come the horror of having State group-aligned militants of Marawi city in southern Philippines, a year ago, Wednesday, May have been buried in num-
lived through airstrikes and 23, 2018. bered graves.
gunbattles that threatened Associated Press A regional official, Zia
them day and night. Alonto Adiong, said it was
"I'm still very, very far from a in an urban wasteland IS group that was being doves into the blue sky crucial to keep the public
full recovery," Soganub said guarded by troops. pounded by troops," Soga- from a government com- informed.
by telephone. "If it takes The city's journey back to nub said from his southern plex in lakeside Marawi "One day in an evacuation
long to rebuild and recon- normalcy may take years home province, where he and prayed for peace and center is already too long
struct, it's more difficult to at a huge cost, said offi- held Mass with family and recovery. for someone who has lost
deal with this psychological cials, some of whom have friends. The May 23 siege that was everything," Adiong said. "I
and psychiatric trauma." warned that if the reha- "Each day of the 117 days, crushed in October killed think the frustration comes
The government is finalizing bilitation falters, the res- 24 hours, we were fac- more than 1,100 mostly mili- from the fear of expulsion,
a plan to rebuild the most tiveness it would generate ing death every time and tants, left the mosque-stud- fear of not knowing what's
devastated commercial could be exploited by Mus- our lives depended on the ded city's heartland in rub- going to happen."
and residential districts, lim militants. temperament of our hos- bles, prompted President Presidential adviser Jesus
where the carcasses of "There were lots of bullets, tage takers." Rodrigo Duterte to place Dureza called for patience
pockmarked homes, build- a lot of cannon fire and Residents, officials and mili- the southern third of the after some disgruntled
ings and mosques stand airstrikes that targeted us tary officers released doz- country under martial law Marawi residents held a
eerily and gathering weeds because we were with the ens of white balloons and and reinforced fears that noisy protest.q

Malaysia says search for MH370 to end next week

urged the government to forever. Let's wait until May to automatically transmit
review all matters related 29 and we will then decide the flight's position failed
to the jet's disappearance how to proceed," he told to work, according to a
four years ago. The Associated Press. final report issued in Janu-
Malaysia signed a "no cure, The plane vanished March ary 2017 by the Australian
no fee" deal with Texas- 8, 2014, while flying from Transport Safety Board.
based Ocean Infinity in Kuala Lumpur to Beijing Voice 370, which represents
January to resume the hunt with 239 people on board. families of those aboard
for the plane, a year after Under the deal, the govern- the flight, in a statement
the official search in the ment will pay Ocean Infin- Wednesday urged the new
southern Indian Ocean by ity up to $70 million based government to review all
Australia, Malaysia and on the size of the area matters related to the jet's
China was called off. searched if the mission disappearance including
So far, the search has not is successful within three "any possible falsification"
turned up anything that months. Officials have said or elimination of mainte-
could shed light on one of there was an 85 percent nance records and any
the world's biggest aviation chance of finding the de- omission that may have
Director general of the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation, mystery. bris in a new 25,000-square- impaired tracking, search,
Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, right, shows the search area map Transport Minister Anthony kilometer (9,650-suqare- rescue and recovery of the
during a press conference as Malaysia new Transport Minister
Anthony Loke Siew Fook looks on in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Loke said Wednesday that mile) search area identified plane.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018. the 90-day search deal by experts. Loke said the new govern-
Associated Press with Ocean Infinity was due The official search was ex- ment, which took power
to end in April but was ex- tremely difficult because after the May 9 elections, is
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia will end next week, Malay- tended twice until May 29 no transmissions were re- committed to transparen-
(AP) — The search by a sia's transport minister said following the firm's request. ceived from the aircraft cy and will release details
private U.S. company for Wednesday, while families "There will be no more ex- after its first 38 minutes of for public scrutiny in due
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 of those who died onboard tensions. It cannot continue flight. Systems designed time.q