Saripada Pacasum Jr. gagged and turned away the first time he came across a decomposing body in Marawi City, where hundreds have died since Islamic State-inspired fighters attempted to overrun the southern Philippines town six weeks ago.
But the rescue and recovery volunteer had no time to waste as gunfire rang out from government troop positions and militant snipers around him: he put on a pair of rubber gloves and helped carry the remains out of the conflict zone in a pick-up truck.
"I thought of resigning after that," Pacasum, who works in a disaster relief office told Reuters. "I was scared and not prepared for this kind of job."
But Pacasum, 39, continued to lead a team of about 30 young men and women who make near-daily forays to rescue civilians and retrieve victims in an urban battlefield that is infested with rebel snipers and battered by air strikes.
They have come to be known as the "white helmets" or "suicide squad" because of the risks they take when going in unarmed and wearing little protection other than white plastic construction helmets.
More than 460 people have been killed since the battle for Marawi began on May 23, including 82 members of the security forces and 44 civilians.
The military believes hundreds of civilians are still trapped by the conflict, the biggest internal security threat the Philippines has faced in decades and a shock to neighbouring countries worried that Islamic State is trying to establish a foothold in Southeast Asia.
RESCUE MISSION
Fishermen, farmers, students, and small business owners, mostly from Marawi, are among those who have volunteered for rescue missions.
"We all grew up in Marawi and it breaks our hearts when we hear that Marawi is under siege," said Abdul Azis Lomondot Jr., a 25-year-old university student, speaking in the team's one-room office in the town's capitol complex where many of the "white helmets" grab some sleep.
When the team gets a call from a trapped civilian or their evacuated relative, they first try to determine their location. Team leader Pacasum then asks for volunteers.
"We grab our helmets, IDs, a ladder, some small tools and we are good to go," said Lomondot.
One such mission around three weeks into the siege almost went awry when the team drove into the conflict area in pick-up trucks but could not immediately find the house where four elderly people were known to be trapped.
"In that moment, I was panicking because I thought this may be an ambush," Pacasum said as he and Lamondot recalled the mission. "We were just waiting for the sound of gunshots."
After driving around for 20 minutes, the team finally located the house, but was shot at as they drove out with the civilians on board.
"TOO STRESSFUL”
As the siege drags on and the government pours troops into the lakeside town, soldiers have started providing cover for some of the rescue teams’ missions. Pacasum says that while this has obvious advantages, it can also mean they are more likely to be targeted by the militants.
The team has also received counselling and equipment from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and training on how to properly handle cadavers.
Pacasum, who has led more 10 rescue missions, wants to see the battle through to the end, but will consider changing professions when it's over.
"It's too stressful, he said.
"Some of the volunteers ... they are just young kids, they are very aggressive. I'm more cautious. I have kids and I want to watch them grow old."
Reuters
Mon Jul 03 2017
A volunteer rescue team member secures a body on a stretcher into an ambulance after retrieving it in the fighting zone in Marawi city, Philippines June 25, 2017. - REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Pelajar tahfiz perlu teroka bidang teknologi
Kira-kira 200,000 pelajar tahfiz di negara ini, perlu dipastikan untuk mempunyai kemampuan dan peluang menjadi tenaga penggerak kepada umat Islam Malaysia dalam meneroka bidang yang dahulu dilihat sebagai asing., tegas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Perpaduan rakyat prasyarat ekonomi mampan
Tidak semua negara Islam mempunyai ruang dan kesempatan untuk terus aman dan damai, dan mempunyai peluang untuk menikmati ekonomi yang kukuh dan berkembang seperti Malaysia, tegas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Beliau berkata, rakyat Malaysia perlu mempunyai tekad untuk memahami maksud dan keperluan perpaduan di kalangan mereka, serta kekuatan dalaman yang seterusnya dapat dijadikan tonggak untuk negara membuat langkah seterusnya.
Beliau berkata, rakyat Malaysia perlu mempunyai tekad untuk memahami maksud dan keperluan perpaduan di kalangan mereka, serta kekuatan dalaman yang seterusnya dapat dijadikan tonggak untuk negara membuat langkah seterusnya.
Tidak perlu tergesa-gesa tukar ke lesen B - JPJ
Pemegang Lesen Memandu Malaysia (LMM) Kelas B2 dan B1 tidak perlu tergesa-gesa mendaftar Program Khas Peralihan LLM Kelas B2/B1 Kepada LMM Kelas B kerana tiada had masa ditetapkan untuk permohonan.
KPWKM teruskan lapan inisiatif bantu warga emas
Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat (KPWKM) akan terus menggerakkan lapan inisiatif utama dalam memenuhi keperluan jagaan dan sistem sokongan terhadap warga emas.
Warga emas maut ditikam anak kandung yang berhalusinasi
Seorang pesara guru maut ditikam anak kandungnya sendiri di sebuah rumah dekat Kampung Senaling, di sini, petang Sabtu.
Menurut Ketua Polis Daerah Kuala Pilah, Superintendan Amran Mohd Ghani, siasatan awal mendapati warga emas berusia 65 tahun itu cuba memujuk anak lelakinya yang juga pemegang kad orang kurang upaya (OKU) mental yang dikatakan mahu membunuh diri.
Menurut Ketua Polis Daerah Kuala Pilah, Superintendan Amran Mohd Ghani, siasatan awal mendapati warga emas berusia 65 tahun itu cuba memujuk anak lelakinya yang juga pemegang kad orang kurang upaya (OKU) mental yang dikatakan mahu membunuh diri.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 5 Oktober 2024.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Hezbollah lancar serangan peluru berpandu ke atas kompleks industri ketenteraan di utara Israel
Pergerakan Hezbollah di Lubnan berkata mereka telah melancarkan serangan peluru berpandu ke atas kemudahan ATA Defence Industries.
Tiada kaitan dengan pelantikan CEO MDEC, Anuar Fariz bukan adik saya - Fahmi
Menteri Komunikasi Fahmi Fadzil menyangkal dakwaan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) baharu Perbadanan Ekonomi Digital Malaysia (MDEC) Anuar Fariz Fadzil merupakan adiknya.
Israel lakukan persiapan untuk serang Iran - Laporan
Tentera Israel sedang bersiap untuk "tindakan balas besar-besaran dan ekstrem" terhadap Iran.
Pengawal keselamatan didakwa miliki buku, lukisan bendera dan video Daish
Muhamad Norulaini Supardi, 33, hanya mengangguk tanda faham selepas pertuduhan terhadapnya dibacakan di hadapan Hakim Mazuliana Abdul Rashid.
Daish: Mahkamah Persekutuan kekal hukuman penjara 10 tahun terhadap bekas penjual cendol
Panel hakim membuat keputusan sebulat suara selepas menolak rayuan akhir Nahzatulazran A. Rahman, 44, terhadap hukuman penjara itu.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
1,000 orang dipindahkan selepas ancaman bom sasar Kompleks Sukan Jamsil, Seoul
Sebanyak 14 kenderaan dan 58 anggota polis dikerah memindahkan kira-kira 1,000 peserta yang sedang membuat persiapan bagi sambutan Seoul Festa.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Israel secara rahsia selaras serangan udara ke atas Syria, elak konflik dengan kempen AS - Laporan
Israel secara rahsia menyelaraskan serangan udara ke atas Syria bersama tentera AS, bertujuan mengelak operasinya bertembung dengan kempen AS menentang kumpulan pengganas Daish.
Ketua PBB prihatin dengan kematian orang awam dalam tindakan AS membunuh pemimpin Daish
Antonio Guterres berkata, siasatan adalah penting dalam kes menentukan pihak yang bertanggungjawab atas kematian akibat serangan.
Serangan bom kereta: 8 maut, 15 cedera termasuk Ahli Parlimen Afghanistan
Menurut pihak berkuasa, serangan turut mencederakan 15 yang lain termasuk Ahli Parlimen, Khan Mohammad Wardak.
6 penguat kuasa undang-undang cedera serangan pengebom bunuh diri di Rusia
Letupan berlaku di luar bangunan Perkhidmatan Keselamatan Persekutuan (FSB)
EU pertimbang langkah baharu tangani ekstremis
Ini susulan siri pembunuhan di Austria dan Perancis dalam beberapa minggu terakhir oleh pengganas yang dikaitkan dengan militan Daish.