Extend

The administration is seeking Congress’ nod for extending martial rule in Mindanao for another year. The purpose for this is to maintain the pressure on the various armed groups proliferating in the island.

Extending martial rule in Mindanao is recommended by the national security agencies. It is understandable that those fighting at the frontlines, taking casualties from ambuscades and treacherous home-made bombs, would want to have all weapons in the state armory at hand.

As far as the last surveys on the issue go, the vast majority of Mindanaoans support martial law in the islands. It was a useful measure in retaking Marawi from the hands of terrorists. It will, no doubt, be useful in hunting down the regrouping Islamist groups and suppressing the NPA. The communist guerrillas have stepped up their campaign of arson in support of their extortion efforts.

According to intelligence reports, remnants of the pro-ISIS groups that figured in the assault on Marawi have been escalating recruitment efforts. Those efforts appear to be backed with a lot of cash. Recruiters are offering rather generous remuneration for those who will fight under the black banner of the ISIS.

Continuation of martial law in Mindanao for another year will support a two-pronged campaign by our security forces.

On one hand, it will be directed against groups such as the Abu Sayyaf and the BIFF. These two violent groups appear to have joined forces under the ISIS banner. They have become a source of attraction for international militants in search of a war to wage.

On the other hand, it is now evident, the suppression campaign will be directed, in equal measure, at the NPA. About 70% of what remains of the communist guerrilla force operates in Mindanao. Maintaining a full-time guerrilla army is expensive and the communists clearly need to step up extortion activities to meet expenses.

After President Duterte issued a proclamation terminating peace talks with the communists and after he issued an executive order labeling the communist forces “terrorists,” the tone of left-wing agitprop became markedly shriller. In demonstrations called by the communist front organizations over the weekend, the leftist militants are now calling for the ouster of the US-Duterte regime.

The Communist Party always maintains tight control over the tone and content of the agitprop spewed by the front organizations. This is to keep in conformity with the overall disposition of the communist forces.  While the peace talks were active, left-wing agitprop refrained from using the fatal phrase “US-Duterte regime” which would put the current administration in the same category as previous governments. The propaganda is now in full throttle, accusing the current administration of conspiring to impose a “fascist” dictatorship.

The escalated propaganda effort is matched by more intermittent “tactical offensives” by guerrilla units. Most of the planned offensives, however, resulted in painful losses for the communists.

In Nasugbu, Batangas, according to sources in the area, the NPA massed as many as 60 fighters to attack an industrial plant in the vicinity. Strong counter-efforts by the military not only prevented the attack from happening, they inflicted at least 15 in communist casualties. Sadly, among the casualties were young student activists brought to the guerrilla zones for “immersion.” The communists should bear responsibility for bringing young, untrained student activists into an intended battle zone.

All over Mindanao, extortion efforts by the communists can only be described as comprehensive. They send collection notices to all enterprises, whether they are capital-intensive mining outfits or small agribusinesses. If the collection notices are unheeded, guerrillas move in to burn down vulnerable capital equipment. The enforcement is swift and often deadly.

The extortion story is the same nationwide. A friend who operates a small fishpond concern in Bulacan says the NPA has lately sent notice about “revolutionary taxes” due. Not surprisingly, he hopes martial rule will be extended to Luzon as well.

The leftist groups will, no doubt, oppose martial rule extension to the fullest. They will raise the specter of murdered activists and terrorized communities as they have done in the past. They, of course, intend a return to the old situation where their extortion and their assassination campaigns are virtually ignored by a government holding on to the unwarranted hope that peace negotiations might gain ground.

The human rights groups, as a matter of course, will oppose martial law extension. But the first question that must be raised in any debate is what works better for public safety. For the man on the street, martial law works no matter that it has so far been used only sparingly.

On matters of peace and order, the Duterte administration enjoys its highest support. While the leftist groups will produce a high volume of propaganda against martial rule, the majority seems content with whatever works to help make things safer for ordinary citizens.

Legally, however, it is a vote by Congress, not a public perception survey, that will legalize extension of martial law coverage in Mindanao.

The latest information indicates the House of Representatives called special sessions for Thursday and Friday this week to deliberate the administration’s request for extending martial rule. The original extension expires at the end of the month.

There is no word yet if the Senate has tabled the administration request on the matter. Nevertheless, it is generally conceded that the large pro-administration majorities in both chambers will vote to extend.

Surely, there will be precious little time to debate the extension. The approval of the extension will almost be pro-forma.