ARMM provides relief aid to 20,000 in Sulu
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government has extended relieved assistance to about 20,000 individuals in Sulu province who were affected by the on-going military offensive against members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the province.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur “Totoh” Tan II said the displaced number 5,610 in Patikul town: 6,605 in Maimbung: 2,000 in Indanan: 5,565 in Parang and 145 in Panamao.
“The affected individual could reach more than 20,000 by now, since the military continues their mortar shelling in the direction of the ASG camps in the province. The military action has left at least 32 of them dead and many injured since August 29,” Tan said.
Tan said the government has intensified its military operations against the ASG in Sulu following orders from President Rodrigo Duterte to crush the ASG which has been sowing terror in the province.
According to Tan, the Philippine Navy has also deployed its largest vessel to lead the naval blockade against lawless elements who plan to escape the military offensive via the Sulu Sea.
ARMM Vice-Governor Haroun Alrashid Lucman Jr. led the delivery of the humanitarian assistance early this week, with Gov Tan, ll and Director Ramil Masukat of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and ARMM – Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-HEART).
Myrna Jo Henry, ARMM-HEART information officer, said the agency’s convergence team validated the number of affected families that received the region’s relief and medical assistance.
“We closely coordinated with the provincial government of Sulu to ensure the safety of our constituents in the province,” Lucman said.
ARMM-HEART is a convergence of agencies that oversees disaster preparedness and response in the region.
The team includes the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Office of Civil Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Science and Technology, The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Regional Planning and Development Office, among others.