Duterte admin urged to extend martial law in Mindanao after Lanao ambush

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The governor of Lanao del Sur on Wednesday urged Malacañang to extend the martial law in Mindanao following Monday’s fatal ambush of the police chief of Binidayan town.

Police M/Sgt. Amen Lucman Macalangan and his civilian aide, Ramel Pangcatan, died from bullet wounds sustained when unidentified men shot their vehicle with assault rifles in Barangay Bandaraingud in Pagayawan town while en route to Binidayan from Marawi City.

Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., chairman of the inter-agency Lanao del Sur peace and order council, said President Rodrigo Duterte should extend the Mindanao-wide martial law he first declared after combined Maute and Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants attacked Marawi City on May 23, 2017.

The religious adventurism by the two terror groups, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, sparked a deadly conflict that lasted until Oct. 16, 2017 and resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand people, among them soldiers and police personnel, and left more than a dozen centuries-old Maranao dwelling enclaves in Marawi City in ruins.

Adiong said he is in favor of an extension of the martial law after its validity ends on Dec. 31, 2019 for authorities to continue enjoying expanded powers needed in maintaining law and order in troubled areas.

Adiong also reiterated Wednesday his directive to local officials in Pagayawan and Binidayan towns to help the police identify the real culprits in the murder of Macalangan and Pangcatan.

“The security sector, or to say it clearly, the government’s duly constituted security organizations, are our allies in maintaining law and order in the province. There must be closure to this incident,” Adiong told reporters in a text message Wednesday.

Adiong also condemned the deaths of members of the Army’s 55th Infantry Battalion, 1Lt.Mark Linne Banua and Sgt. Jhanjihan Carumba, in another ambush also in Pagayawan town Tuesday.

The slain soldiers were in a team that gunmen attacked from different directions while patrolling in the same barangay where Macalangan and Pangcatan got killed the day before.

Five other members of the 55th IB, Sgt. Randy Esmade, Private 1st Class Nielo Rubiato and Privates Roger Amihan, Jovanie Calaguian and Therenz John Francisco, were badly wounded in the incident, now confined in different hospitals.