Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said a report about nearly 2,000 civilians that were allegedly killed because of the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City is unverified.

“These are unverified reports,” he said in a statement issued Tuesday.

“Operations are still ongoing and the proper authorities are still assessing, consolidating, and verifying data from Marawi City,” he added.

Lorenzana issued his statement after a newspaper, quoting a source, reported that according to the estimate of the volunteer civilian groups and the government-Moro Islamic Libertation Front (MILF) peace corridor who managed to retrieve the cadavers in the city, the civilian casualties have reached to 1,882.

Lorenzana also urged the public to be more cautious in accepting and sharing unverified information.

“For now, we once again call on the people to be more cautious and discerning. Do not accept any information as fact,” Lorenzana said.

“Avoid sharing unverified data and figures, and stop the proliferation of fake news that only cause undue alarm, panic, and confusion among our people,” he added.

“Such information is not only detrimental to our ongoing operations. It also hurts our economy and our international image as a nation,” Lorenzana noted. Robina Asido/DMS