ARMM official: Don't blame Maranaos for Marawi conflict, we're victims here

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong said Saturday that Maranaos should not be blamed for the Marawi City conflict.

"We are the victims here. Ang nabiktima po ang mga Maranao, ang mga nag-suffer ang mga Maranao. So, to say na pinabaayan namin is like saying na kumuha kami ng pamukpok sa aming ulo, martilyo na pupukpok namin sa ulo. It's quite preposterous to claim that the Maranao people did not do anything," Adiong, spokesperson of the Marawi Crisis Management Committee said in a press briefing.

Adiong also pointed out that civilians cannot engage in a "well-coordinated, well-armed, and well-planned" attack.

He added that Maranaos were preparing for the start of Ramadan when the Maute group attacked Marawi City.

"How can the people expect us to engage militarily with well-coordinated, well-armed, well-planned attack by a group of terrorist organizations that have the support from the international terrorist networks. How can you expect civilians who are getting for the coming of ramadan to fight engaged militarily to fight well-coordinated, well-trained and well-planned attack by a well-organized terrorist group," he said.

"We have witnessed the Zamboanga siege and also the Ipil siege in the past. Nobody, nobody blamed the civilians of Zamboanga why did they not take up arms. Nobody blamed the residents of Ipil why there is no civil resistance. Why now that it happened in our backyards, people are blaming the Marano people?" Adiong added.

President Rodrigo Duterte had blamed the Maranaos for allegedly allowing corrupt ideology destroy their city.

"Ganun na lang ang galit ko sa mga kapwa ko Maranao. Sabi ko galit ako bakit ninyo pinapasok itong mga p*** na 'to. Why did you allow the terrorist and they could have built that kind of ordnance until now marami sila," Duterte said during his speech at the 50th Founding Anniversary of Davao del Sur in Digos City.

Meanwhile, Adiong reiterated that civilian Maranaos cannot be blamed for not resisting members of the Maute group during the local terrorists' attack in the city last May 23.

He said it would be impossible for a civilian to join such a conflict.

"And again I'd like to reiterate, at that time, we are getting ready for Ramadan. We are not in the fighting mood. No one can blame us for not resisting. Again I'd like to reiterate, imposible po to expect civilians na makipaggiyera sa well-coordinated, well-trained na mga militante," he said.

As of July 8, 366 Maute members have been killed by the government troops.

The casualties from the government side was still at 87, while 39 civilians were killed by the Maute in the ongoing clashes. —ALG, GMA News