yes, it is.
we can neither avoid civilian casualties, nor secure the economy against the possible effects of all-out war. it will definitely damage us, one way or another, there is no doubt about that.
but the mere existence of these armed rebel groups has already created negative long-term effects that far surpasses any potential damage that can result from a short-term conflict. as long as these insurgents continue to operate, there will be no true peace.
therefore, only an all-out war can truly end this problem, but only if the outcome is absolute. meaning, these rebel groups and all their operations must cease to exist. it may be a choice that could mean the end of lives and destruction of property, but so can letting rebels run rampant all across the country prove to be even more destructive. in the end, all we have is a choice of evils, and we should definitely go with the lesser one.
Our country in its current state is already in turmoil. Violence in our major cities will be a massive blow. Take into account that eliminating the MILF will NEVER be a week long process, it will NEVER BE a short-term conflict. We do not have a world class military, fighting would rage for months or probably even years. The MILF is deep rooted within the society of mindanao, we simply cant go in and kill them all. they have supporters within the local population, within the government and yes even within the armed forces its self.
As of now the MILF problem has been, to some extent, localized in mindanao. Their existence certainly inhibit the development of a region but the rest of the country continues to move forward.
As you've said we have to choose the lesser evil. So which is which?
Allowing the MILF to exist yet suppress them to some extent (what is being done today) at the cost of developmental retardation of a region while the rest of the country moves on
or,
Entering in a long-term, expensive, military campaign with no clear outcome which may also backfire and plunge the entire country into chaos.
For this I'll let everyone have their own opinion. But one thing is sure, there is no clear solution.