ILIGAN CITY — An Army operation to secure a mosque in a Lanao del Sur town was being deplored by several Maranaos, mainly in social media, as a form of disrespect of Friday prayers because the operation was conducted in the mosque at the height of the prayers. A video of the search for guns by soldiers inside and around the mosque in the town of Bacolod-Kalawi was posted on Facebook and quickly drew sharp reactions from Maranao netizens. The netizen who posted the video, Faisal Pacalna Cali, of Lanao del Sur, said while Mindanao was under martial law, the search inside the mosque and around it was a sign of disrespect and was deplorable. I told them they were not allowed to enter the mosque because they were Christians,” Bulat told the Inquirer. The military, however, disputed versions of the operation that spread in social media, known for being a hub of fake news.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 18, 2018 21:11 UTC