The military and social-service workers jointly administered on Monday psychosocial exercises to at least 71 children whose families were among those displaced by the conflict in Marawi City.
Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command Spokesman Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay said the series of activities for the young refugees, aged from 3 to 12, was held at the Lanao del Sur provincial social hall.
A combination of fun games, artwork, socialization and entertainment was conducted to address the stress experienced by the children affected by the conflict in the city.
Petinglay said the children were temporarily sheltered at the Lanao del Sur capitol evacuation center.
Combined personnel of the Joint Task Groups Ranao and Tabang were among those who mingled and played with the children.
“Despite the language gap, beneficiaries were noticed genuinely laughing and enjoying the series of activities and the interactions,” Col. Tom Sedano of the Joint Task Group Tabang said.
“Most of the instructions were done through sign language so that the kids will be able to understand the mechanics of the activity. The ultimate goal is for them to enjoy and to have fun,” he added.
Petinglay said a 7-year-old boy claimed he was happy when he was asked how he felt about the activity.
The psychosocial activities were administered to help the children refugees in evacuation centers cope up with their current situation and divert their attention from the stressful environment to a fun and enjoyable situation even for a short period of time.
“We want to take part in the initiatives of the government and concerned stakeholders in assuring the protection and welfare of the civilians who are caught in the crossfire,” said Brig. Gen. Ramiro Rey, commander of the Joint Task Group Ranao.
“Programs that benefit the evacuees are currently being implemented, manifesting the sincerity of the government and the military in liberating the besieged city,” he added.
Martial law justification
The human-rights watchdog Karapatan, meanwhile, has scored the Duterte administration for rounding up Marawi evacuees and tagging them as members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in order “to justify continued martial law [ML] in Mindanao.”
Karapatan, Kalinaw Mindanao, Gabriela and other national and local organizations joined the Second National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission among Marawi evacuees from July 27 to 29.
Aside from conducting psychosocial intervention programs, medical missions and relief distribution, the team also documented human-rights violations under the context of martial law’s implementation.
“Information gathered during the mission indicate a worrisome trend wherein State forces start rounding up evacuees in evacuation centers to wrongfully present them as ISIS members,” Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said.
“This is martial law’s new phase—the phase of manufacturing enemies to justify the extension of martial law. The level of repression is further heightened as military elements are seen loitering around in evacuation centers, becoming defensive and even aggressive when the word ‘justice’ is so much as spoken by either the mission team or the evacuees,” Palabay said.
“We seriously question information about the numbers presented by the military, and about the real security situation in Marawi. The Duterte administration cannot forever hide behind the veil of ‘national security’, especially with the evacuees’ own perceptions that civilian casualties are far worse, the numbers sanitized and recalibrated to appease public discontent. The growing number of illegal arrests and other forms of human-rights violations inflicted against those already displaced by the conflict are proof of State terror. Such brazen abuses ought to be condemned, stopped, and their instigators brought to justice,” she said.