Fire, gunshots and explosions continued to pound Marawi City even in the wee hours of Monday night.
But while the clashes were going on, 53-year-old Ruben Rodin managed to escape from 10 Maute extremists who were hiding just outside his boarding house.
“[Yung] Salita naririnig ko, andun ako sa itaas ng tatlong palapag, andun sila sa baba. Malaking mga baril at bomba ang pinapuputok nila,” he said.
(I was upstairs and I heard them talking downstairs. They were firing big guns and bombs.)
Maute extremists are still holed up in Marawi City almost a month since they first attacked the city. Thousands of civilians have been displaced by the ongoing firefight while over 300 people have been killed.
Rodin, fearing that the extremists who have wreaked havoc in the city may find him and kill him, thought of a way to escape.
“Naghanap ako ng paraan kasi baka akyatin ako nila, patay ako. Dinugtong dugtong ko yung mga tela para makalabas ako,” he said.
(I found a way to escape because they might go upstairs and kill me. I tied up cloth pieces together so that I could escape.)
Rodin then walked in the dark quietly to escaped from the Maute terrorists until he reached the Agus river, which he had to cross. .
“Dahan-dahan lakad ako kagabi alas-2 madaling araw hanggang narating ko dulo ng pantalan,” he narrated.
(I walked slowly at around 2 in the morning until I reached the end of the port.)
Rodin then wrapped his belongings, including his cellphone, up in an old shirt that he tied to his head and used a covered gallon as a floating device as he swam away from the terrorists.
He was soon rescued by the military and was brought out of the conflict zone by police forces. He was given medical treatment by an emergency medical station.
Following his daring escape, Rodin says he now simply plans to go back to his hometown, Davao del Sur as the fight for Marawi City continues.
Re-published from ABS-CBN News
