Philippines asks FB to close militant accounts

manila — The Philippine military on Friday asked Facebook to close dozens of accounts linked to militants who attacked a southern city, saying they were being used for propaganda.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said the armed forces’ social media unit uncovered 63 Facebook accounts belonging to the militants and their supporters.

“These 63 accounts are spreading malicious information and misinformation that affect the information landscape and the mindset of every Filipino,” Herrera told a news conference in the southern city of Marawi.

The military has asked Facebook Philippines “to conduct necessary measures to take down these fake accounts,” Herrera said.

Hundreds of militants waving the black Daesh group flag rampaged through Marawi on May 23 and seized parts of the city. They have so far fended off more than two weeks of air and ground assault by government forces.

President Rodrigo Duterte said the attack was part of a wider plot by Daesh to establish a base in the southern region of Mindanao, and declared martial law there to quell the threat.

Forty government troops and 138 militants, have been confirmed killed due to the fighting, according to Herrera.

Twenty civilians have also been confirmed killed but the true number is likely to be higher with authorities yet to fully assess the roughly 10 percent of Marawi still being held by the militants.

About 2,000 people are believed to be trapped in the militant-held areas with some being used as human shields, the military has said. Militants have made extensive use of social media to strike fear and spread their ideology. —