[Gulf Today] Officials have appealed to the Philippine military to stop its all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters for three days to enable at least 16,000 students in Maguindanao province to hold their annual graduation exercises. Classes have been suspended in the public schools of 11 towns because the buildings have been used as evacuation centers.Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu said that aside from the students, a major concern was the plight of the more than 100,000 evacuees. He said that they were concerned about how the villagers could return to their farms and restart harvesting their crops. Mangudadatu said the soldiers who have taken control of many of the villages could not just leave without putting up security mechanisms to prevent the return of the BIFF members.