PNP backs martial law extension in Mindanao

The Philippine National Police supports another extension of martial law in Mindanao to preserve the huge improvement in peace and order in the region, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde said.

“If ever the President decides to extend martial law, we [will] fully support that because what we see here is the improvement in the peace and order,” Albayalde said at a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday.

Martial law, he said, has caused the reduction of the average monthly crime rate in Mindanao from 8.79 in 2017 to 5.92 this year.

Crime rate refers to the number of victims of crime for every 100,000 of the population.

“We can attribute that basically to the imposition of martial law,” Albayalde said.

Checkpoints

Increased checkpoints and military operations have helped lessen criminal activities while putting terrorist groups in check, he said.

Albayalde claimed that even the people of Mindanao wanted an extension of martial law.

“There’s no oppression going on there as some people [have] alleged … There is no curtailment of freedom. Not even [suspension of] habeas corpus,” he said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said last week that the President was still waiting for the recomendation of the police and the military before deciding whether to extend martial law in Mindanao.

“The Armed Forces will use the month of November … to go around Mindanao and ask the people there, the local governments, the businesses, the church what their feeling is on the extension or lifting of martial law,” Lorenzana said.