22,000 flee fighting in Aleosan, Pikit in North Cotabato

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Residents of the municipalities in Aleosan and Pikit, North Cotabato, have started leaving their homes since 5 p.m. Sunday, the Bantay Ceasefire said. "Based on the initial counts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), there are 22,000 evacuees already coming from barangays Silik and Katilaka, Pikit and barangays Tudok and Langayen, Aleosan," Rexall Kaalim, coordinator of Bantay Ceasefire, said in a telephone interview. "The evacuees here are on the roadsides since there are no permanent evacuation centers," Kaalim said. "It has been raining here, and people are starting to cook even though they lack kitchen utensils," he added. As of Sunday, Bantay Ceasefire reported of eight rounds of aerial bombings of OV10 planes in the perimeters of Pikit and Aleosan. "There were also ground shelling in Takudok [that targeted] MILF rebels under Commander Ombra Kota," Kaalim said. A child was also hit by a 6x6 Army truck along the Pikit highway, Bantay Ceasefire said. - GMANews.TV