Networks Practically Ignore 3 Week Islamic State Terror Siege in Philippines
Marawi, a predominantly Muslim stronghold on the heavily Catholic island of Mindanao, has been racked by ISIS-inspired terrorism and violence since May 23. Yet, in the three weeks since that date, the big three networks have spent a mere 25 seconds discussing the conflict on-air.
Last month, after Filipino military attempted to corner terrorist leader Isnilon Hapilon, the latter was believed to have sent out an emergency call for support from the ISIS-affiliated Maute group. Roughly four hundred terrorists then descended on Marawi, raising ISIS flags, capturing civilians, bombing churches and wreaking havoc on the Filipino city.
A June 12 AP article republished by ABCNews.com revealed that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had instigated the Marawi attack, according to Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte. Christians, military officials explained, were the main targets.
… Now, three weeks after the violence began, “bombs continue to shake” Marawi, as CNN Digital News Producer Ben Westcott noted in a June 12 report. The fighting is unlikely to end before a fortnight is up, officials say; yet still, ABC, CBS and NBC news shows have given shamefully minimal coverage to the struggle that has reduced Marawi to rubble.
“I was raised here all my life and looking at pictures, there was no semblance of Marawi anymore,” a crisis management committee spokesman told local Filipino news outlet ABS CBN. “It’s like looking at Syria and Aleppo. The damage on properties is staggering.”
Current reports reveal that more than 20 civilians and 58 military and police have lost their lives since the siege began. Many more are trapped or being used by militants as human shields. A priest and a dozen of his parishioners are being held hostage after their cathedral was blown to smithereens. More than half of Marawi’s 200,000 residents have fled.
