ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - – The city government is blaming the followers of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari, who laid siege to the city last year, for the increasing number of deaths in evacuation centers.
Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said they hold the MNLF rebels accountable for the predicament of thousands of residents who were forced to flee from their villages during the height of the Zamboanga siege in September last year.
The number of evacuees reached more than 120,000 within 23 days as hostilities escalated between the government forces and the MNLF rebels loyal to Misuari.
The death toll among evacuees at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex is now at 101, city health officer Rodelyn Agbulos said, adding that around 41 percent of the victims were children below five years old.