Shariff Aguak: Military and police forces have initiated a manhunt for armed men who were spotted in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, on Sunday night. This situation has led to the evacuation of nearly 200 families from the area.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Col. Roden Orbon, spokesperson for the Army's 6th Infantry Division, provided details during a radio interview on Monday. Authorities are addressing the situation with seriousness, deploying soldiers from the 33rd Infantry Battalion, along with armored personnel carriers, to the affected areas of Barangays Malingao and Balong in an effort to maintain peace and order.

Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad Ampatuan has taken the initiative to distribute relief goods to the families who have been displaced due to the threat. The residents of these villages fled their homes after heavily armed men were sighted around 7 p.m. on Sunday. This is the second evacuation in the span of a week, as the same villagers had previously evacuated on March 6 due to similar threats posed by armed groups.

While no hostilities have been reported so far, residents have chosen to evacuate as a precautionary measure to avoid any potential clashes between the armed group and government forces. The ongoing situation has been particularly challenging for residents observing Ramadan. "It is so hard for me and my family to evacuate because we are observing Ramadan," one resident shared in a radio interview.

The authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and are working to ensure the safety of the displaced families while efforts to locate and apprehend the armed individuals are underway.