DAY 13 | Mortar round kills woman cooking for troops in Zambo

From InterAksyon (Sep 21): DAY 13 | Mortar round kills woman cooking for troops in Zambo

A woman who was cooking breakfast for soldiers fighting Moro National Liberation Front rebels in Zamboanga City died when a mortar round hit her house Saturday morning, radio reports said.

Normal Ladiones, who some reports said was 71-years old, was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.

The reports said the mortar shell pierced the cement wall of the kitchen of Ladiones’ house on Alfaro St., Barangay Tetuan and exploded right where she was cooking around 7:15 a.m.

Authorities are investigating the incident although they believe the wayward shell could have been fired by MNLF holdouts who continue to battle government forces.

Saturday, the 13th day since the crisis began, dawned with sporadic fighting between the MNLF and security forces in Barangays Sta. Catalina and Sta. Barbara.

The military and police say Habier Malik, who leads the estimated 200 MNLF fighters who forayed into Zamboanga, remains holed out with his remaining followers despite persistent reports he and a number of his lieutenants have escaped to Sulu.

The fighting in Zamboanga has already cost more than a hundred lives, displaced around 120,000 persons and left communities in ashes.

Reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection said at least 1,375 houses have been razed thus far while initial estimates of damage to property have been pegged at P4 billion and counting.

Despite the continued violence, the city struggled to return to normal, with the Zamboanga City Bankers and Financiers Association confirming that six more banks reopened Saturday after securing authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The banks, according to ZCBFA president Alma Paculanan, are: Banco de Oro-Jaldon; BDO-Canelar; One Network Bank-Ayala; ONB-Guiwan; ONB-Sangali; and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation-Veterans.

However, she said RCBC will be open only from 1-4 p.m.

She said clients of these banks can deposit, withdraw and cash checks.

More banks will resume operations on Monday.

Over the past few days, close to 30 of the 58-member banks of ZCBFA were opened.

But banks near the so-called “areas of concerns” remained closed.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/71180/day-13--mortar-round-kills-woman-cooking-for-troops-in-zambo