Rivera, Malla Denise L.

September 13, 2023

11 - Empathy Subject: DISS

I remember when this conflict happened. I was just a nine-year-old kid, who didn’t have
any idea of the real reason behind this war. I really thought every time there was a war the
soldiers were the bad people, and they were abusing and killing people. Now that I’m old enough
to understand this kind of conflict in our society, I realize how damaging the Marawi conflict
was for both the individual and the area where it occurred after reading the article about it. The
use of weapons can never have a positive effect on the affected place, and that's what happened
in the Marawi Siege. The Marawi conflict occurred on May 23, 2017. It is one of the most tragic
conflicts that happened in the Philippines, but before everything else happened, the people's lives
were once at peace. The people who lived in Marawi City didn’t have any idea how a very tragic
event would happen in their place. Nearly 300 people have died in fighting between Philippine
forces and the Islamic State-linked Maute group that seized the southern city of Marawi. The
attack by Maute and its allies on the island of Mindanao is the biggest warning yet that the
Islamic State is building a base in Southeast Asia.

Because of this conflict, many people from Marawi City were forced to flee from their
place out of fear for their lives. Based on the article, the main reason why this conflict happened
between the Philippine Army and Abu Sayyaf is that they didn’t respect each other and only
relied on their own beliefs when it came to politics such as the form of government they wanted
to change. The diversity in the form of government is the main reason why the Marawi Siege
happened. The group who led the Marawi Siege wanted Mindanao to be separated from the
Philippines because they wanted to have their own form of government. The human behavior of
the Philippines Army and the revels depicted in this event are the love and patriotism on their
sworn duty. Society and the future are interconnected because the success of the end depends on
how the government handles the issues in our country.

In conclusion, having the knowledge of the aftermath of what happened or took place in
Marawi, it takes time for their area and resources to recover which will require resources such as
money, manpower, and materials, as also the emotional impact on the citizens of the place,
especially the children. Without considering the citizenry of Marawi, the Philippine Army and
Abu Sayyaf kept on fighting until the place was unrecognizable and many of the civilians and
army lost their lives. Until now despite the efforts made by the government, the people of
Marawi can’t go back because lack of resources to rebuild their lives in the place. In this event,
social science shows that when there is a war, the truly affected are not the soldiers but the
citizens, who need immediate attention from the government.