Abella says Duterte to call meeting on possible ML lifting

DAVAO City — President Duterte would convene a meeting with his Security, Justice and Peace cluster in the Cabinet to decide if martial law in Mindanao should be lifted or let it continue until  Dec. 31, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said on Friday.

Abella said the killing of  terror group leaders  Isnilon Hapilon of the Abu Sayyaf, Omar Maute of the Maute Group and Malaysian national Dr. Mahmud Ahmad “does not automatically result in the  lifting of martial law” as there are still “remnants, including networks supporting the Maute — the Maute cause within Mindanao.”

Abella said the President is “duty-bound not to compromise public safety” and would meet with members of his Security, Justice and Peace Cluster in the Cabinet, particularly Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana,  the martial law administrator, and Gen. Eduardo Ano, chief of staff of the Armed Forces and the designated martial law implementor, “on the necessary action to be taken.”

Abella did not say when the meeting would take place. Año is retiring from the Armed Forces on Oct. 26.

Duterte declared martial law over Mindanao’s 27 provinces and 33 cities effective 10 pm on May 23, barely eight hours after the Marawi crisis began. Last week, he declared the predominantly Muslim city “liberated from the terrorist influence” on Oct. 17, Day 148 of the Crisis, even as operations were still continuing against an estimated 30 terrorists holding some 22 hostages then,

Two hostages were rescued and 13 terrorists were killed Wednesday night, including Mahmud, the military said.

Archbishop Romulo Valles said calling on Duterte to lift martial law in Mindanao was not discussed during the four-day meet as the focus of the participants, aside from the conference theme, was on how to help rebuild Marawi.

Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, the archbishop of Cotabato, said “the threat of extremism is still there even though the war in Marawi might have ended.”

Mindanao’s Catholic bishops issued a statement on May 26 that martial law must be “temporary.”

“We have many fears. But at present, we simply do not have solid and sufficient facts to absolutely reject the declaration of martial law as morally reprehensible. But we are certainly agreed that martial law must be temporary,” the Mindanao bishops said in their statement then.

Duterte’s martial law declaration was for 60 days but he asked and was granted by Congress to extend the period of martial law until Dec. 31. (carolyn o. arguillas and antonio colina IV of mindanews)