Duterte-Carpio: Lifting of martial law to boost Davao City’s economy

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee is urging Kuala Lumpur to put up a consulate in this southern Mindanao port city to further boost trade between Malaysia and the Philippines.

It was also proposed in the past, but had never pushed through.

Malaysian newspaper quoted Lee, also president of the Sabah Progressive Party, as saying: “Setting up a Malaysian consulate in Zamboanga City is an old idea but raising the issue now is timely due to the existing favorable economic and business atmosphere.”

Lee believed the Philippines remains attractive to Malaysian companies who might be interested expanding their investments in agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, information technology and human resource,

“I propose for Malaysia to set up a consulate general in Zamboanga City,” he said, adding that he was convinced President Rodrigo Duterte’s so- called “Mindanao First” policy would be helpful for Zamboanga City and nearby areas.

It was not immediately known if Duterte would approve the putting up of a consulate in Zamboanga. Sabah is being claimed by the Sultanate of Sulu and Duterte previously said that he would assert the claim.

But Malaysia vowed to defend the sovereignty of Sabah following Duterte’s remarks the oil- rich state, now home to about half a million Filipinos, belongs to the Sultanate of Sulu.

DAVAO CITY Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio welcomed the decision of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, to end the implementation of martial law in Mindanao, saying such a move could lead to growth and development in the city.

In a statement, Duterte-Carpio said the lifting of martial law would entice more foreign tourists and investors to the city, as such declaration “negatively affected” the city when foreign governments issued travel bans, including Canada.

She said the travel bans had made tourists and investors apprehensive about coming.

also reported that Duterte was quoted by the Philippine media that he would never abandon the Sulu Sultanate’s quest to stake its claim on Sabah.

“We are allowing proprietary heirs to talk [with Malaysia]. Since it is part of our claim, it will be there as our land,” Duterte was quoted as saying. “What has been the policy will always be the policy of the government especially those for the interest of the country. We have to stake our claim.”

Malaysia has vowed to defend every inch of Sabah’s sovereignty, saying that no one could stake a claim on Sabah that had gained its independence through Malaysia with the agreement of the United Nations in 1963. Sabah or North Borneo originally belonged to the Sultan of Brunei, who gave it to Sultan of Sulu Salahud- Din Karamat Bakhtiar in 1658 as a reward for helping quell a rebellion.

In 1878, Sulu Sultan Jamalul Alam Kiram leased North Borneo to the Hong Kong- based British North Borneo Company of Baron Gustavos von Overbeck and Alfred Dent for “5,000 Malaysian dollars” a year. Even after North Borneo became part of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur still pays an annual rent of at least 5,000 Ringgit to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu.

“There is a negative connotation in the international community when it comes to martial law,” DuterteCarpio added.

“Through the lifting, by the end of the month, our standing in the international community will improve,” she said.

The Davao mayor also noted that the effect of the declaration of martial law was more on foreign investments.

“When it comes to local investment, there is no problem. But in the international community, the declaration of martial law and travel ban coming from their governments really affected us,” she said.

But even though martial law in Mindanao would lapse by the end of the month, Duterte-Carpio said she wanted the Philippine National Police (PNP) to continue suspending the Permit to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) for a year.

The City Council had backed her on this and passed a resolution asking the PNP to suspend PTCFOR in the city for a year.

“The suspension of PTCFOR will be an effective measure in maintaining the city’s peace and order even without martial law,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“As what we see, this is the only thing that we need to control our peace and order situation in the city,” she added.

The Palace earlier said Duterte would not extend martial rule in Mindanao “following the assessment of his security and defense advisers of the weakening of the terrorist and extremist rebellion.”

Duterte declared mart ial law after the Islamic State-linked Maute group attacked Marawi City on May 23, 2017. Congress approved his request for an extension in 2017, 2018 and 2019.