The chairman of the Philippine Councilors League described Marawi City as a “lonely city” after a three-hour visit on June 24, affirming that was depicted on TV was the actual situation.
“It indeed looked like parts of Syria,” said Davao City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chair of the PCL. The PCL chairman led a 17-vehicle to Marawi that brought relief goods and assistance to victims of the ongoing conflict.
Dayanghirang said his group visited ground zero, which was more or less 300 meters from the war zone. His group consisted of councilors, Muslims and Christians, from Region XI and Region 12 who joined the caravan “to show that Muslims and Christians are one.”
“When we entered, it’s a very lonely city. Soldiers are just sitting down and you see a lot of military equipment, air and land assets coming in and out, including ambulances. You can also hear the gunshots from the capitol.”
In the spirit of unity and friendship at times of calamity, the Philippine Councilors League together with Deputy Mayor of Maranao Tribe in Davao City and Mindanao Islamic Chamber of Commerce brought clothing, medicines and relief goods on Saturday, June 24, for the victims of the Marawi siege.
PCL National Chairman Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said that among those who went to Marawi were Maranao Tribe Deputy Mayor Randy Usman, and other Muslim councilors from Regions IX, X, XI and XII.
“We want to show that Muslims and Christians are one. That we are all united, we are all Filipinos and we are brothers. Thus, we visited Marawi with our fellow Muslim councilors,” he said on Monday during the Kapehan sa Dabaw.
According to Councilor Dayanghirang, they brought with them P200 thousand pesos worth of relief goods, including prayer mats and clothing like malongs and hijabs and basic medicines donated by the office of the Mayor Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.
The PCL National Chairman also stressed that councilors are united to denounce and go against extremism and drugs and that the said activity was to show the public that Christians and Muslims are one for peace and development.
“We want to sustain, expand and intensify our good relationship with our Muslim brothers.”
He said that they were able to enter the area through coordination with the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process (OPPAP).
