Marawi families still seeking answers on disappeared relatives

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Relatives of individuals who disappeared during the 2017 Marawi siege held commemorative gatherings in Marawi City and Iligan City as the region marked the International Day of the Disappeared, underscoring the persistent grief that continues to affect hundreds of families nearly a decade after the conflict.

The five-month siege, which began in May 2017, resulted in one of the Philippines' deadliest urban conflicts in recent history. While military operations concluded in October that year, the fate of approximately 300 missing persons remains unresolved, leaving their families in a state of prolonged uncertainty.

The commemorative activities served as a platform for families to renew demands for information about their missing relatives and to call for greater transparency regarding the circumstances of their disappearances. Human rights advocates have highlighted the case as emblematic of broader concerns about accountability and missing persons documentation in conflict-affected regions.

Government agencies have not provided comprehensive updates on investigation efforts or the status of cases involving the disappeared. The unresolved disappearances continue to weigh heavily on affected families, many of whom have struggled with economic hardship and psychological trauma throughout the years since the conflict.