Pres. Duterte says open to extending martial law in Mindanao

A day after Senate Minority Frank Drilon ask the Duterte adminstration to lift Martial Law in Mindanao.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte while in a speaking engagement in Ilocos Sur said he is open to extending martial law if the local officials would recommend it.

He said that “Mindanao continues to be a problem” even after 2 years since martial law was declared in the restive south.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PCOO)

“I am not advocating for any continuance of the martial law. But if the local government units, the governors, mayors and even congressmen, would find it that it would be to the best interest of the Filipino in Mindanao, I would not hesitate to say yes,” the President said 

Duterte also mentions about  security threats from groups being linked to the terror group ISIS.

“Now, ‘yung Abu Sayyaf, Maute, they are all ISIS. They have pledged allegiance to a very corrupt and empty and stupid religious ideology. They do nothing but kill and destroy,” Duterte said.
 

“You know, it’s not easy to say it in public pero parang sampal sa atin ‘yan kaliwa’t kanan, every day that there is a hostage there. So I had an agreement with the military na maglagay ako ng isang division, so it might improve things. Well, if they want killing, I told the military, 'Give it to them,'” he added.

In May 2017,  Islamic State enclave attacked and held Marawi City through 5 months of government air strikes and ground offensives.

Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao in the wake of the Marawi City siege.

The original martial law declaration was supposed to last only for 60 days, as indicated in the 1987 Constitution, but Congress voted to extend it until the end of 2017 to help troops end the siege.

In late 2017, Pres. Duterte requested for another extension until the end of 2018, saying the militants were regrouping despite the end of clashes.

In Dec. 2018, Congress had granted for the third time Duterte's request to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2019 to quell terror groups that "continue to defy the government."

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Report from ABS-CBN News