By Eddie Barrita
CEBU CITY, (PNA) — At least 500 Hajj pilgrims from Mindanao arrived in Cebu late Friday en route to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, officials said Saturday.
Of the number, some 200 were flown by the Philippine Air Force to Cebu after they got stranded as hostilities between Muslim rebels and government troops broke out in Zamboanga City.
The C-130 Hercules cargo planes of the PAF carrying the pilgrims arrived at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday.
About 300 other pilgrims from Tawi-Tawi also arrived in Cebu through commercial flights Friday morning as part of the country’s 8,000-strong delegation to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, according to Malo Manonggiring, regional director of the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos in the Visayas.
“Despite what’s happening in Zamboanga, they are willing to go because this is a religious duty that must be done by every Muslim who can afford to do it,” Manonggiring said.
They made their trip was at the risk of getting delayed by hostilities that broke out last Monday in Zamboanga City between government forces and a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Government has closed the Zamboanga International Airport to commercial air traffic until Sept. 16.
The pilgrims were expected to board available flights to Manila to try to meet their international flight schedules.
“Through government officials, we are extending a helping hand by airlifting our stranded Muslim brothers and sisters,” Lieutenant Colonel Marciano Jesus Guevara of PAF’s 2nd Air Division said.
The pilgrims will stay in Mecca for a month.
They are expected to shell out at least USD1,500 for their international fare, aside from their daily expenses.