(UPDATED) The military declares a unilateral ceasefire from 8 am to noon on Sunday, June 4, to allow humanitarian workers to save residents trapped inside the combat zone

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – A total of 134 trapped residents were rescued on Sunday, June 4, after the military declared a 4-hour unilateral humanitarian ceasefire in Marawi City. “Again, we request both sides to open a humanitarian space so that we can get all those trapped civilians in the war zone,” he added. “All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground.”

Duterte has asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Islamic separatist movement based on the Philippines island of Mindanao, to help negotiate a peace settlement with the Islamist fighters, who are predominantly drawn from the Maute Group based in and around Marawi. Duterte appeared dismissive of the ceasefire’s failure, insisting he was confident they’d conquer the city within three days anyhow. Marawi City’s mayor Majul Gandamra, told reporters on Sunday morning he was expecting “more or less 1,000 plus to be rescued today”. Philippine authorities said Sunday they were trying to negotiate a ceasefire in a war-torn southern city to rescue up to 2,000 civilians trapped in areas held by Islamist militants for nearly two weeks. Irene Santiago, appointed by Duterte to organise the “peace corridor”, said the effort had been a success, noting the fighting was several kilometres away from where the evacuation took place.
Citizens remain trapped in Marawi, Philippines, after a ceasefire organised by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is broken. Up to 2,000 people remain in need of help after nearly two weeks without food.