Army, police back martial law extension
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte still enjoys the support of the state forces even after martial law in Mindanao was extended until end of 2018, Malacañang said on Saturday, December 16.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar made the remark to debunk the claim of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairperson Jose Maria Sison that the military and police would eventually withdraw support to Duterte, following the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.
“Obviously, Joma Sison is really out of touch. He’s far from the Philippines. He’s been residing in The Netherlands,” Andanar said in an interview in state-owned DZRB.
“So I believe that our AFP and police force are strong. And number one, their loyalty to the President and to the country remains. And I know that the AFP and the Philippine National Police are overwhelmingly very powerful and really a force to reckon with,” he added.
Congress has approved Duterte’s recommendation to extend martial law regime in the entire Mindanao despite the defeat of Islamic State-inspired Maute extremists in Marawi City.
The President, in his letter to Congress dated December 8, explained that the martial law extension would help achieve the “total eradication” of other lawless groups, including the CPP’s armed wing New People’s Army (NPA), that continue to pose threats in Mindanao.
Prior to Duterte’s proposal to extend martial law, he terminated the peace talks with the communists and declare the CPP and NPA as terrorists through two proclamations he signed.
In a statement issued on Thursday, December 14, Sison noted of escalation of “gross and systematic violation” of human rights in Mindanao after Duterte’s proposed extension of martial law and suspension of writ of habeas corpus in the embattled region was granted.
Sison also alleged that that officials of the AFP were “seriously concerned” that Duterte is “misusing the AFP and PNP as if these were his personal armies.”
He also alluded that “anti-Duterte sections” of the police and military forces were slated to “spearhead the withdrawal of support” from the Chief Executive, as well as to coordinate with the “growing mass movement” to overthrow the latter.
“In such eventuality, the CPP and NPA would be happy with the limitation of bloodshed and with the resumption of peace negotiations between [National Democratic Front and the government] under a new president or a transitory people’s commission,” Sison said.