EDITORIAL - Extended

As expected, the two chambers of Congress overwhelmingly approved President Duterte’s request for a five-month extension of martial law in the entire Mindanao. The approval came on the heels of a survey taken after martial law was imposed, which showed the President enjoying public approval and trust ratings in the dizzyingly high 80s percentage. The congressional approval of the President’s request merely sealed that mandate.

The President asked for the extension as he noted that the threat posed by the Islamic State-inspired Mautes persisted in Marawi, with the terrorist leadership still intact. He also linked the Marawi siege to previous terrorist attacks in several provinces and cities in Mindanao as he emphasized the risks of the IS-Maute threat spilling over to other areas. The public, and even several foreign governments, appear to believe this story.

Marawi may be cleared of the Mautes and their cousins in the Abu Sayyaf by Dec. 31. But the threat posed by the terrorists is unlikely to be neutralized in just five months. The Abu Sayyaf has been around for about two decades now. A militant faction, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, has sprung from the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the BIFF isn’t interested in the peace process.

While using the extension of martial law to the fullest, the government at the same time must find other ways of neutralizing the terrorist threat. Senators have promised to review the Human Security Act or Republic Act 9372. Passed 10 years ago, the law against terrorism has not been applied by police, who fear provisions that could put them behind bars for many years even for honest mistakes in tracking down or questioning terror suspects. Without those provisions, the government could have a powerful tool for tracking down and neutralizing the Mautes, their sympathizers and affiliates.

At the same time, commitments to bring development to the rebel-affected areas of Mindanao must go beyond rhetoric. Insurgencies feed on poverty, social injustice and bad government. Without these elements, even perpetual martial law will not end armed threats in Mindanao.