AFP urges media not to use photos of Marawi destruction

Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez. (INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO /FRANCES MANGOSING)

MARAWI CITY — The military on Monday appealed to media not to release pictures and footage of the massive destruction here as it would be used by their enemies to recruit more fighters.

Major Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, told reporters that the actual pictures might be used by Islamic State-inspired members of Maute and Abu Sayyaf to encourage people to fight as well ask support from their colleagues abroad.

“I would like to appeal to the media to be sensitive enough. Those scenes from inside will aggravate the situation. Please do not show it,” he said.

“We have an agreement not to show what’s inside. We don’t want the irony of war like in Aleppo. We don’t want this to happen but the ISIS-inspired group brought these menace here to us,” he said.

Galvez explained their enemies are expert in technologies by twisting facts, including social media.

“It will create a lot of condemnation on our part. What will happen is that they can recruit more foreign fighters,” he said.

The military official defended their airstrike, saying their enemies have been hiding in buildings in the village of Banggulo, the center of the fighting.  SFM/rga