Martial law is for public safety – Abella

Despite the dwindling number of enemies in the war-torn city of Marawi in Lanao del Sur, Malacañang said martial law will stay in Mindanao until public safety is guaranteed.

This even after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported significant developments including the recovery and control of more strategic vantage points by advancing troops.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella echoed President Duterte's desire to lift martial law the soonest time possible but expressed that public safety should be first guaranteed.

"As far as the Palace is concerned, the Executive branch wishes for all of this to end as soon as possible," Abella said during the Mindanao Hour press briefing over Radyo ng Bayan Saturday.

"However po, ang bottomline pa rin po ng (the bottom line of) martial law is public safety. Public safety as mandated by the Constitution," he added.

Abella also noted that due to the continued use of civilians as human shields by the terrorist groups and the use of mosques as staging areas and safe havens, there is no telling when martial law will be lifted.

"The provision of the Palace will be benchmarked upon the agreement on whether or not public safety is already sufficiently guaranteed," Abella said.

"Therefore, the schedule po for the lifting of martial law is whether or not it is already totally, completely guaranteed or sufficiently guaranteed for the safety of the general public or not," he explained.

"So hindi po natin binibigyan ng timeline ‘yan. Ang atin pong indicator ay whether safe na po talaga ang publiko (So we will not set a timeline. Our indicator is whether or not the public is safe)," he added.

Duterte, through Proclamation No. 216, placed Mindanao under martial law due to the attacks in Marawi City on May 23. He also suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the entire island for 60 days.

Duterte earlier said that martial law in Mindanao will stay until the AFP and the PNP inform him that the situation in the island has returned to normal.

However, in an ambush interview in Sultan Kudarat last week, Duterte said he will heed whatever the Supreme Court's decision on his declaration of martial law may be.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that military operations in Mindanao will continue even if the Supreme Court deems Duterte's declaration as invalid.

According to AFP spokesperson BGen. Restituto Padilla, military operations will continue even without martial law, but this time within the parameters provided by the law.

"We’re not preempting the decision of the Supreme Court. But military operations will continue, and we will work within the parameters provided by law," Padilla said during hte Mindanao Hour press briefing Friday morning.

The Supreme Court is set to come out with a decision on the validity of martial law by July 5.