The family hid inside the house, hearing gunshots and afraid of going out. They could not see where the bullets were coming from and were afraid of getting hit. [Hasana] On their way out, Mahid recalled seeing Isis men on the streets and the fear they felt inside the vehicle. They were afraid that they would be asked to go down and would be asked to recite prayers, she says its good for her and other Muslims as they are able to recite the prayers but she worries for her Christina co-workers. She said “Hindi ko makakalimutan ano yung papalabas na kami, nakita naming yung mga ISIS sa gilid, akala naming na papatayin na kami… takot kami kasi maraming Christian na empleyado si ate, buti nalang talaga hindi nila sinita…. Kami alam naming yung dasal, yung mga Kristyano na kasama nain maawa kami baka hindi naming kayanin na makita naming an yung kaibigan naming pinapatay, hindi naming kakayanin. Kaya nanalangin kami kai Allah na gabayan kami sa pagtakas, at yun hindi na kami ipinababa ng mga ISIS, yung ibang sasakyan daw pinababa.” [Mahid] While none of the women interviewed were directly threatened by Maute or Isis armed groups, there were accounts validating invites from the group for young men to join their fight. One woman [Anisa] told the story of her brother who was taken by the Isis, she got sick thinking about him, worrying about his safety. She shared that her brother hid in the mosque for three days and that when the brother was asked by the Isis, he would just nod because they will kill him if he is not with them. In terms of threats from the military, the women’s concern were either speculative – on what will happen to the properties they left behind, and concern for children who lack documentation and might be subjected to arrest in view of martial law. Fear for family members Most of the women interviewed by the team expressed various degrees of worry and concern for their family members. The firefight began in the middle of the afternoon, most children were at school, while parents who were working were in the workplace. Women who were housewives and who were taking care of young children stayed at home and some were not able to leave the City immediately as they had to locate/wait for their children who were in school or their husbands who are at work. In cases where women opted to leave, they are burdened with worry for the safety of their immediate family and relatives. The fear that women felt for the safety of their family members, either with them in flight or left behind, may be gleaned from the following selected accounts: When it started, I right away told my husband to go home from work. But according to him, he is trapped with his employer in their place of work. But I still waited for him my two children until 6:30 in the evening. But since I can no longer called him because there was no signal, I decided to leave the house together with the children. [Jocelyn Lagata] Cosnia reported that she was not able to take her other son ‘Nouman Alawi’ (son from another man) who was left in their home at West Marinaut because Nouman cannot walk. His foot was injured few days before the attack in Marawi. Since then, they do not have information of whether he was saved or was able to leave Marawi City. She tried reporting the same but no report or news has reached her as to his son’s whereabouts. [Cosnia] Fatima is a mother of eight (8) children. She was in Iligan when the firefight began. She was so worried for her children who are left in their home while some are in the school at that time. Upon hearing the news, in the eve of May 23, 2017, she hurriedly went home to look for her children but was not allowed entry at Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur. It was difficult to contact her children until the battery went dead. On May 24, 2017, she managed to enter Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur and was not allowed entry at Basac Malocloc, she slept with her relative at Banggolo. On the next day she went to the Provincial Capitol of 45