11 review students rescued from MSU

MARAWI , Philippines  – After surviving three days and nights on biscuits and tap water, 11 review students could not thank the heavens enough when government troops finally reached their dorm at the Mindanao State University (MSU) to rescue them on Thursday.

 The reviewers were barely into the second week of their short-term special studies and professional review courses at MSU when terrorists belonging to the Maute group stormed the school and started occupying it last Monday.

Minutes before government psychologists ushered them into a room for debriefing, they told reporters that they survived the three day ordeal by keeping noise to a minimum – making sure that cellphones were on silent mode and talking only via hand signs. The need for complete silence was so intense that they could not even flush the toilet.

“The armed men thought our dormitory was empty so they did not bother getting in. They just positioned themselves in the surroundings,” said student Dey Ann Castillon, who recounted seeing the bandits positioning themselves just outside their two-story building.

 Eana Gaile Beleño, one of seven Notre Dame of Tacurong College students who were reviewing at MSU for the social work board exam, said they are thankful to their four Muslim co-reviewers who kept assuring them that no harm would come their way even as their location was already surrounded by the bandits.

 “Faith in God kept us alive and protected us from danger. Our Muslim companions gave us moral support during that very difficult time in our lives. Our experience was so horrible. It will never be forgotten for as long as we live,” the 20-year-old Beleño said.

 She added that their Muslim companions include an Arab, two ethnic Maranaws, and a Tausug from Sulu.

 Jay Gee Villaruz, 20, said they (Christian students) started panicking after receiving text messages that warned them of incidents where terrorists executed any non-Muslim seen along the way.

“We immediately put all our cellphones on silent mode and turned off the lights to make it appear that no one was inside the (dormitory) building,” Villaruz said.

Their ordeal ended only after the Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team (HEART) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Marawi City police and the Army’s 103rd Brigade came to their rescue after MSU president Habib Macaayong called for help.

Also among those rescued were Michelle Peniero, 30; Diane Coritana, 20; Judy Ann Gravino, 20, and Crystal Ebetero, 20.

The rescuers asked the non-Muslim students to wear the typical Moro dresses and cover their heads with veils for them to look like Maranaws and plain residents of Marawi while being escorted away from the dormitory.