Sulu rejects martial law proposal

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Sulu has rejected fresh proposals to place the province anew under martial law following the recent twin suicide bombings in the capital town of Jolo that killed and wounded dozens of people, mostly civilians.

Gov. Sakur Tan, who called a multisectoral meeting on Wednesday to discuss the security situation listened to participants and leaders of various civil organizations, academe, religious and business sectors, including municipal mayors as they thumbed down the martial law proposals by Philippine Army chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa.

It was also attended by senior police and military commanders led by Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan and Muslim Autonomous Region Police chief BGen. Manuel Abu.

“The meeting discussed several issues, ranging from the recent twin bombings in the town of Jolo, to the efforts of LGUs (local government units) in combating the coronavirus disease pandemic, the suggestion to possibly impose martial law in the province of Sulu — which was resoundingly opposed by those in attendance led by Governor Tan himself — and even suggestions of looking seriously at other strategies to counter peace and problem in the province, not just military strategy or solution,” the Office of the Provincial Governor said in a post on its Facebook page.

Even Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana opposed military rule in Sulu, saying the whole of Southern Philippines remained under state of lawlessness following President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 55, which he signed in September 2016, placing the province under a state of emergency after a terror attack at a night market in his hometown Davao City killed over a dozen people and injured at least 75 more.

The latest bombings in Jolo also killed more than a dozen soldiers and civilians after a pair of women, who were widows of Abu Sayyaf terrorists, blew the explosives they were carrying. It was unclear how the two managed to pass through military and police checkpoints undetected despite the strict security measures there.

Lorenzana said Duterte also recently signed the anti-terror law, so there was no need to impose martial law in Sulu, one of five provinces under the restive Muslim autonomous region.

Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and Senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson also shared Lorenzana’s view.

Lacson said, “We have passed a strong Anti-Terrorism Law for our security forces to better address terrorism in Mindanao and the rest of the country. Unfortunately, amid the numerous petitions against the measure, the agencies tasked to craft the implementing rules and regulations of the law have not yet issued the same, which could have given our law enforcement agencies and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) the impetus to fully implement the law with efficacy and confidence, even proactively as we have included even inchoate offenses punishable for even at the stage of planning and preparation. With all that said, another declaration of martial law in Mindanao or Sulu may not be necessary.”