Region 9 police tightens inspections on outgoing travelers to prevent possible Maute reinforcements

THE ZAMBOANGA Peninsula Police Regional Office (PRO-09) has tightened inspections at checkpoints for outbound travelers to prevent the possible entry of reinforcements for local terror groups into besieged Marawi City. “We are maintaining the fixed and random checkpoints and always check not only the vehicles going inside the Police Regional Office areas but also those who are going out,” Police Chief Inspector Helen L. Galvez, PRO-09 public information officer, said, noting that Abu Sayyaf group members could attempt to provide assistance to the Maute group members still holding ground against government forces in parts of Marawi. The fighting in Marawi started on May 23. “We don’t want only to prevent spillover (of the fighting outside Marawi), but reinforcement,” Ms. Galvez said.