A MORO leader Wednesday, June 1, urged anew the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop their surgical airstrike attacks in Marawi City, for fear that it would only aggravate the crisis and implicate innocent civilians.
This is the second time a Moro leader appealed to the government to halt air strikes.
Maranao Tribe Deputy Mayor Randy Uzman told reporters during the AFP-PNP press conference that he has received calls from Marawi City urging him to call on the security officers to halt their aerial attacks against the local terrorist group.
"We are appealing to the chief commander of the Martial Law General Eduardo Año and the National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to stop the bombing in Marawi City," he said.
Uzman recommended that the soldiers should instead use the "commando style" in addressing the Marawi City siege, particularly, the use of highly-trained security forces to infiltrate and fight against the rebels so to avoid a wide-scale damage of properties and loss of lives of many civilians.
Based on the information relayed to him by the affected residents in Marawi, who seek refuge in evacuation areas, they said that there are other hostages held by the rebels and might be killed if the air strike continues.
"Itigil na ang airstrike kasi marami ng mga civilians na matatamaan doon sa bomba (Stop the airstrikes because civilians might be hit by the bomb)," he said.
Eastern Mindanao Command Deputy Commander Gilbert Gapay said an air strike is integral to every military operation and the situation in Marawi calls for it.
"Itong (These) airstrikes natin at (and) bombing, hindi po (it’s not) indiscriminate ito. These are surgical airstrikes intended to neutralize the enemy on the ground," he said.
The military launched the airstrike to "flush out" the terrorist that has already killed many civilians as well as the government troops for over a week of conflict.
"Precise po ang air strikes and operations in the nearest 10 meters," Gapay said.
On Sunday, May 28, Moro civil society leaders in Lanao del Sur also urged the government to stop their airstrikes.
"It is not certain whether the Armed Forces know the exact locations of these remaining civilians in Marawi. That is why we say that the air strikes endanger the civilians," said Maranao woman leader Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, one of the conveners of the Ranao Rescue Team.
Gutoc-Tomawis, who is also a government-nominated member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), urged the military to constantly brief the provincial and civil society leaders of Lanao del Sur so that they can feedback what they know of civilian locations and hence factored in the planning of assault targets.
Uzman, meanwhile, appealed to the public to send donations to the affected residents in Marawi City.