Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Restituto Padilla sees the possibility of a sudden rise in the number of civilian fatalities in Marawi City.
He says, as the military clears buildings of the presence of the Maute terrorists, soldiers may find more dead bodies.
“Maaaring tumaas ang bilang ng mga sibilyan na namatay pag napasok na natin ang mga building (the number of civilian fatalities may rise once we enter the buildings),” Padilla says.
“We may get the surprise of our lives and find a number of cadavers,” he warned.
Padilla reveals, about 300 civilians remain unaccounted for.
Yesterday, government forces were able to clear 54 buildings that used to be occupied by Maute snipers.
The AFP has inspected about 800 buildings in the city where the terrorists holed up.
