MANILA, Philippines - Half of the 160,000 North Cotabato residents displaced by the recent fighting between government troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels have already returned to their homes, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr said Wednesday.
Teodoro, who concurrently chairs the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), said they expect the rest to return to their homes by Friday.
About half of them (evacuees) have returned and we hope that the rest can go back to their residence the day after tomorrow, Teodoro, who was visiting evacuation centers in North Cotabato, said in a phone interview.
He said the evacuees that were allowed to go home were those from Libungan, Pigkawayan, and Midsayap towns.
At present, military and police personnel are scouring other communities from landmines that might have been left by retreating rebels.
"We want to make sure the safety of the places because in some areas, there are booby traps left by the MILF," Teodoro said.
Teodoro said 4,000 of the 16,000 families still displaced are in evacuation centers while the rest are staying with their relatives.
He said the evacuees included Muslims and Christians who have reported looting incidents allegedly perpetrated by the MILF forces that occupied their villages. - GMANews.TV