Mindanaoans to Duterte: Don’t extend martial law

Marawi residents who had fled to Saguiaran town in Lanao del Sur said President Duterte’s move to extend martial law meant a prolonged stay in evacuation camps.

Jalal Dipatuan, 49, told the Inquirer that he and other evacuees had been living in an evacuation center for nearly two months already and life had not been easy for them since May 23.

“It’s difficult on our part. We cannot go to Marawi anymore,” Dipatuan said.

“It’s cold here in the evacuation center. Please Mr. President, don’t extend martial law anymore, we want to go home,” said Asliah Bandrang, 34, a mother of seven children.

In Zamboanga City, former Human Rights Commissioner Jose Manuel Mamauag said there was no basis, in substance and purpose, to extend martial law.

He said Mr. Duterte’s plan could be a “wrong prescription or medicine because there is no clear and present danger.”

Rey Luis Banagudos, a peace advocate, said: “There’s not enough basis at this time to predict that threats will last for five more months. If after Marawi had been retaken and the Maute attacks persisted, then another martial law may be warranted. But only then.”

Human rights group Karapatan claimed it had documented at least 10 cases of extrajudicial killings of farmers and peasant activists in Mindanao since the imposition of martial law.

The Communist Party of the Philippines on Tuesday called on the “entire Filipino people to vigorously oppose” a prolonged martial law. —REPORTS FROM JULIE ALIPALA, FRINSTON LIM, JEOFFREY MAITEM, EDWIN FERNANDEZ, CHARLIE SEÑASE AND NIKKO DIZON