“It’s very painful to see the dead bodies of the children, whom we also considered to be our own,” the muddied Abalo told the Inquirer. “We will try our best to comb this part because we believe there are more dead bodies buried here,” Abalo said. Westmincom has jurisdiction over the Zamboanga provinces and parts of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. In Munai, Lanao del Norte, Mayor Casan Maquiling said 11 bodies had been recovered, including that of an 8-month-old child. In Lanao del Sur, 26 people had been confirmed killed, according to Zia Adiong, spokesperson of the provincial crisis management committee.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 24, 2017 09:41 UTC