After martial law extension in Mindanao, entire Philippines follows, Sison predicts

LUCENA CITY – Exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison said President Duterte’s scheme to place martial law nationwide is on track with the extension of military rule in Mindanao.

“With the extension of martial rule in Mindanao up to 2019, the Duterte drive for fascist dictatorship is proceeding on schedule,” Sison said in a statement from Utrecht in the Netherlands on Wednesday.

He made the statement after Congress and Senate in a joint session approved Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2019.

Sison said the extension prepares Duterte’s imposition of martial law nationwide.

“Which ensures Duterte control of the results of the elections if any and the chacha for fascist dictatorship under the guise of a bogus kind of federalism,” Sison said.

The existing martial law in Mindanao is supposed to end on Dec. 31, 2018.

Mindanao was placed under martial rule after the ISIS-inspired Maute terrorist group attacked the Islamic City of Marawi causing destruction and unrest in the region.