When a person commits a crime, he is accountable for all the consequences of their act. Case in point: Jessie Carlos, the gunman at Resorts World casino, would have been answerable for the death of 37 people even if he did not kill any one of them.
The Mautes and a band of foreign terrorists went on a rampage in Marawi City in Mindanao, killing hapless civilians and destroying billions of pesos worth of property. Thousands of Marawi residents were displaced, and a great part of the city itself is now in ruins.
Our government is not to blame for this; it did what it had to do. In its solemn pledge to protect the people, it has no recourse but to declare a watered-down martial law and conduct airstrikes. These are strategic and tactical measures intended to facilitate the defeat of the enemy. Otherwise, the conflict will drag on and there can only be more deaths and destruction.
In sum, the Maute terrorists and those who supported them are to blame for this crisis and tragedy. The blood is in their hands.
LEONARDO P. LOPEZ, retired brigadier general, AFP