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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress to extend the martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year.
The 60-day martial law that Duterte proclaimed on May 23 after the Maute terrorist group’s attack in Marawi City will expire on July 22.
“Upon a thorough, personal assessment of the current situation in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao, and taking into account the reports and recommendations of the Secretary of National Defense, as martial law administrator; the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as martial law implementor; and the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), I have come to the conclusion that the existing rebellion in Mindanao, which has prompted me to issue Proclamation No. 216 on 23rd May 2017, will not be quelled completely by 22nd July 2017, the last day of the 60-day period provided under Section 18, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution,” Duterte wrote Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
“For this reason and because public safety requires it, I call upon the Congress to extend until 31st of December 2017 or for such a period of time as the Congress may determine the proclamation of the martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao,” the President added.
Duterte called on Congress to hold a special joint session on July 22 to deliberate on the proposed martial law extension.
Earlier, he said whether or not martial law will continue depends on the assessment of the military and the police.
“Hanggang hindi sinabi ng pulis pati Armed Forces na safe na ang Philippines, this martial law will continue. Hindi ako makinig sa iba,” said Duterte. “Iyang Supreme Court, iyang mga congressmen, wala naman sila dito.”
Clashes between the military and the Maute fighters have so far claimed the lives of 93 government troops, 399 terrorists and 45 civilians, the Armed Forces said.
Majority of Filipinos (57 percent of respondents) support the proclamation of martial law in Mindanao, a recent Social Weather Stations survey showed./PN
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