MANILA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana hinted on Monday that he wants to lift martial law that President Rodrigo Duterte imposed in the southern Philippines in 2017 to crush the militants that continue to sow terror in that region.
Lorenzana, the administrator of martial law, said he is not likely to recommend to Duterte to further extend martial law in the entire Mindanao region after the law expires on Dec. 31, 2019.
"Personally, I am not inclined to recommend its extension. Unless the military and police recommend otherwise. I will await their recommendation which I should receive before December," Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana said martial law has been implemented "too long already" in that region, a known haven of both the Islamist and leftist militants. By lifting martial law, he said the security forces "can do their jobs."
Last month, Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, the commanding general of the AFP's Western Mindanao Command, said he favors imposing martial law in "selective" provinces like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The BARMM includes the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi- tawi, and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan, and 63 villages in six North Cotabato towns.
The Philippine Congress granted in December 2018 Duterte's third request to further extend martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao for a period of one year, from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019, to quell a "continuing rebellion" in the southern Philippine region.
Local terrorists belonging to the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Group attacked Marawi City on May 23, 2017, prompting Duterte to place the entire Mindanao under martial law for 60 days.
Before the declaration lapsed on July 22, 2017 Duterte asked Congress to extend its effectivity until Dec. 31, 2017. When it lapsed on December 2017, Duterte again asked for another one year extension which expired on Dec. 31, 2018.
The 1987 Constitution only allows the president to declare martial law for a maximum of 60 days. Any extension would require approval from Congress.
Under martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao, security forces are allowed to make arrests, detain or search without a warrant. This means that people who have committed the crime of rebellion or even suspected ones may be arrested without warrant of arrest and objects that were used in the commission of the crime of rebellion may be seized without search warrant.
Mindanao has been the hotbed of violent extremism and a brewing rebellion for decades. In more recent years, Mindanao witnessed the perpetration of numerous acts of violence like the Marawi siege and bombings in major cities.
