Martial Law: Extortion/Extension

Well, it's finally happened. Of course we all knew it was coming. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060991/duterte-asks-congress-to-extend-mindanao-martial-law-until-end-2019

“Yes,” Medialdea said when asked if Duterte has approved the recommendation of the police and military for extension of martial law in the region. 

“[It’s] one year and [in] Mindanao,” he added.

One year? What need for a one year extension when the AFP has said they will end the insurgency by the Q2 of next year? 

“We will support the statement of the President to put an end to the insurgency problem by the second quarter in 2019. We have basis because of the number of surrenderees that we have experience which is overwhelming in the area of 10th ID alone,” he said. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1767533/Davao/Local-News/Army-Insurgency-problem-to-end-in-2019

Has Duterte lost faith in the abilities of the AFP? No. He is only following their own recommendation.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/04/1874056/afp-pnp-back-another-year-martial-law

Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, said local government units, regional peace and order councils and other agencies, including the Commission on Elections (Comelec), are supporting the move. 

He added that there is actually a clamor for such extension for at least one more year, considering the continuing threat “lurking” in Mindanao. 

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte might be persuaded to seek another extension because of the support shown by various sectors, including the citizens of Mindanao, for the proposal. 

“The President will always evaluate whatever recommendations the AFP and the PNP will give him. But given the support of martial law in Mindanao, even by a Catholic bishop and the citizens there, the President may be persuaded to grant, to approve their recommendation. But of course, again, that is the prerogative of the President,” Panelo said at yesterday’s press briefing.

And the AFP is only following the desires of the people of Mindanao. To be sure the Palace did give lip service to "rebellion." 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1061146/palace-on-martial-law-extension-rebellion-still-persists-in-mindanao

With martial law in Mindanao, Panelo said: “we have achieved substantial progress in addressing the rebellion in Mindanao, as well as promoting the overall security and peace and order situation therein, which even led to noteworthy economic developments in the locality.” 

“Despite these, however, rebellion still persists and the public safety compels our Commander-in-Chief to push through with the exercise of these constitutionally-sanctioned powers in order to serve and protect our nation and its people,” he said. 

“A halt may only frustrate the progress we are witnessing in Mindanao and may even strengthen the rebellion and propel it to other parts of the country,” he added.

How is the government defining rebellion? The NPA, a rebel group seeking the overthrow of the Philippine government, is active in every area of the country and has been so for 50 years. Duterte even sent more troops to locations in the Visayas because of the NPA threat. Rebellion exists nationwide so why not declare nationwide martial law if the basis is rebellion? 

The NPA is a very evil group. First they announce  a Christmas truce.

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/12/07/CPP-NPA-holiday-truce-50th-anniversary-2018.html

But then they continue with their criminal ways attempting to destroy the businesses who will not pay their extortion money.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060897/6-guards-hurt-as-npas-attack-banana-processing-plant-in-north-cotabato

“It was harassment by NPAs because the firm ignores extortion demand from the rebels,” Supt. Bernard Tayong, speaking for provincial police, told the Inquirer. 

“It is always like that, if rebels extort or demand revolutionary tax from multi-national companies they resort to burning of equipment or harassment.”

These extortion activities were also given as a reason for requesting a one year martial law extension.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/10/1875727/pnp-npa-extortion-another-reason-ml-extension

Defending their recommendation of a one-year extension, he explained that the rebels have been engaged in extortion and other criminal activities even before the campaign season kicks in. 

“Sometimes it can go beyond the election period, that’s why I think it’s in a better position to extend martial law to a year,” Durana said. 

The presence of additional security forces in Mindanao will also help prevent election-related violence perpetrated by private armed groups. 

The PNP is monitoring about 77 such armed groups in the country, 72 of which are located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). 

Durana said the presence of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Maute and Abu Sayyaf is another reason why they want martial law extended. 

“These are the inputs, reasons why we recommended (martial law) for another year,” he said.

The NPA has been extorting money for decades and the private armed groups and the Muslim groups have been causing havoc for years as well. With a year and a half of martial law already come and gone how exactly will another year of martial law take care of these problems? What powers will the AFP have under martial law which will enable them to annihilate these groups that they do not have without martial law? As it is they can send troops wherever be needed without martial law. They can engage the NPA and the Islamic groups without martial law. They can assist the PNP if so required. What exactly is the plan?

Duterte has called for the formation of death squads to combat the NPA because they have been killing PNP and AFP personnel but surely those harried business who refuse to pay extortion to the NPA will take a shine to such an idea. Despite the NPA's Sparrow unit being out of existence for three years the AFP will be forming an anti-Sparrow unit.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059785/militarys-intel-units-to-serve-as-core-of-govt-hit-squads-vs-npa

“The core of this would be intelligence units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Merong Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. They can form the core of anti-sparrow units,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source. 

“Some quarters are saying to let civilians do it. But no, they might take upon themselves, they might think they have a blanket authority to kill anybody. I want soldiers to be our anti-sparrow unit members and they should be supervised by officers. It should be carefully vetted, ang go signal ay galing sa opisyal para may accountability,” he noted.

Of course civilians should not be involved in the formation of any death squad. The entire unit should be composed of special forces. Funny that Loreznana says the intelligence units would form the core of the anti-sparrow units. Isn't the point to take action? Isn't the point to decimate the NPA? It's not as if the AFP's intelligence units are worth the billions that are spent on them each year. Remember how they ignored intelligence reports which lead to the Marawi siege which lead to where the nation is today? Even now AFP intelligence has no idea what is going on.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059840/govt-checking-report-about-foreign-fighters-in-mindanao-lorenzana

In an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said there are reports of foreign fighters coming in but these are still unconfirmed. 

“We have a very porous southern border. The news is that, although we cannot confirm it on the ground, there are incursions from neighboring countries Indonesia and Malaysia. But we are still validating this news,” he said Tuesday. 

“The news actually came from abroad. There is an agency in Singapore that monitors the terrorists from Syria, Middle East. It said that some of them are moving to Mindanao. We take it as maybe not really true or a sure thing but we are validating just the same,” he also said. 

While he sees it as a cause of concern, the defense chief appeared confident there may be only a few foreign fighters in the country. 

“Not that many because we cannot find them. Maybe a handful of them are scattered in Sulu, maybe in Central Mindanao and Basilan,” he said.

Throughout the year reports have been trickling in about foreign fighters flocking to fight in the Philippines.  It is the new land of jihad. Why is the AFP still validating thee reports? Funny how he says there aren't "that many because we cannot find them." That is the kind of logic that has doomed this country and allows both the communist and the Muslim insurgencies to continue unabated.

There may or may not be a joint session of Congress to discuss and vote on Duterte's proposed martial law extension. Senator Zubiri is not too keen on a joint session.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060967/zubiri-joint-session-on-martial-law-extension-may-derail-budget-passage

“That will delay the budget schedule because we start 10 in the morning everyday. Definitely it will delay because we have to travel siyempre pupunta kami sa Kongreso para sa joint session dahil diyan talagang maaantala ang passage of the budget on Wednesday,” Zubiri told reporters in an interview.

The Congress needs to get its act together. The House just sent the budget to the Senate because they have been dragging their feet with other issues like charter change. But the Senate has been bogged down with silly investigations which have born little or no fruit and not to mention they shut down last week just to watch a basketball game! Zubiri may not realise this but his job as a Senator is a public trust and if he has to work 12 hour days to get the budget passed then he and his fellow Senators better smile and do it with gusto because that comes with the territory. 

But we all know that is not how the government works or politicians think in this country.