Lessons from Marawi: What are civilians protected with if they find themselves in the middle of a war?

In 2017, the Marawi siege took the lives of many civilians as it spanned for five long months, later claiming the title of the longest and bloodiest military operation in the country after World War II.

According to the Asian Development Bank, more than 100 civilians died during the Marawi siege and 88 more have gone missing to this day.

Even in the middle of the war, civilians are still protected from harm with rules and policies already in place. There is the international humanitarian law, which according to a “Need To Know” episode, aims to decrease the effects of war and protect civilians and other individuals like the wounded, sick, and detainees, who not included in the fight.

The law can be applied to non-international conflicts such as the Marawi siege.

Under the law, the opposing forces are obligated to distinguish the fighters from the civilians, and direct their attacks and operations to those involved in the war.

“Hindi dapat i-target ang mga sibilyan. Hindi pwede ‘yung indiscriminate o walang pinipiling pamamaril o pambobomba dahil pwedeng may madamay na mga sibilyan (Civilians should not be targeted. You cannot just gun or bomb anywhere because civilians may be affected),” judge Soliman Santos Jr. of the Regional Trial Court in Naga City said.

Aside from ordinary citizens, Hors de Combat or those who are no longer in a position to fight as well are also considered civilians.

“Mga wala ng kalaban-laban dahil malubha nang nasugatan, may sakit, wala ng malay, kasama rin ang may malinaw na intensyon na nais nang sumuko,” Santos said. “Dapat halos sibilyan na ang pag trato sa kanila basta walang makitang hostile act na panlalaban o nagtatangkang tumakas."

[Those who cannot fight because of severe wounds, sickness, lack of consciousness. Included as well are those with the clear intention to surrender. They should be treated almost like civilians as long as they see no hostile act or attempt to escape.]

Detainees of non-international armed conflicts are also supposed to be treated properly. In the rules of war, torturing detainees and degrading them is not allowed. They should be given access to food and water and speak with relatives.

He added, “Napakahalaga ito. Hindi dahil gusto natin ipatuloy ang gera. In the meantime na hindi mo maawat, at least i-lessen mo ang damage sa mga sibilyan. May nagsasabi na atleast i-humanize yung war kung matatawag mo man ‘yan na pag humanize.”

[This is important. Not because we want to continue the war. In the meantime that we cannot stop it, at least we can try to lessen the damages to civilians. Some say that we at least humanize the war if you can call that humanizing.]

Saripada “Tong” Pacasum, a civilian and a survivor of the Marawi siege, bore witness to the horrors of war and urged everyone to put an end to these problems.

“Para kang nasa scene ng Walking Dead," he said. "Makikita mo doon maski animals, pusa patay. ‘Yung mga bahay na napasukan namin, wala na yung bangkay ng tao. Nag-disintegrate, ash na lang. Makikita mo na lang damit niya na nakahiga. ‘Yan yung mga hindi mawawala sa utak mo.”

[It’s like a scene from The Walking Dead. You’ll see even animals, cats dead. There were no longer any dead bodies inside the houses we entered because it disintegrated and it was all just ash already. You’ll only see the clothes lying down. Those are the things you can’t remove from your head.]

“These are the incidents na ayaw na natin maulit sa lifetime natin. Ayaw ko maabutan ng anak ko. We hope to put an end to these kind of problems,” he added.

[These are the incidents that we don’t want to repeat in our lifetime. I don’t want my children to witness this. We hope to put an end to these kinds of problems.]

On May 23, 2017, pro-ISIS terrorists belonging to the Maute group led by brothers Omar and Abdullah, with the help of the Abu Sayyaf faction under Isnilon Hapilon, occupied Marawi City. It triggered an armed conflict that resulted in thousands of deaths and a city left in ruins. — Kaela Malig/LA, GMA News